


The CEO, The Priest and The Helpless Puppy

by YamiBaki



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yugioh
Genre: Anal Sex, Egypt, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fighting, Idiots in Love, Jealousy, Love Triangle, M/M, Multi, Obsessive Behavior, Past, Possessive Atem | Yami Yuugi, Possessive Behavior, Rape, Yami Yuugi | Atem Has His Own Body, Yaoi, fighting over one guy, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-12-16 18:50:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 86,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21041033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiBaki/pseuds/YamiBaki
Summary: After creating a machine that could help view the process of how life was back in ancient Egypt, Seto's brother, Mokuba invites Joey and the gang to check it out. But something goes wrong, and Joey, Yugi, and Seto are suddenly sucked back into ancient Egypt! What the hell is going on and why has the Priest who resembles Kaiba taken a liking to Joey? Will Kaiba's jealousy get the better of him? And who is this mysterious person trying to kill them?





	1. The Machine

There it was. 

The machine that could change our thoughts on history as we know it.

"What da hell is this?" A tall, slender blond asked, placing his hand on his hips and eyeing the machine suspiciously. Tea, a tall brunette, frowned and pulled on his ear. 

"Joey, behave and be polite, remember that we're guests in Kaiba's mansion." She scolded, letting go of the blonde's ear and giving him a look of disapproval. Joey rubbed his aching ear and turned to his friend, sticking his tongue out at her rudely. 

"Yes, '_Mom_'." He mumbled sarcastically, before turning back to eye the machine. "What is this... Weird... Thinga-ma-jig anyways?" He asked, getting closer to it.

A small, raven-haired boy smiled at him. "Don't you recognize it, Joey?" He asked, laughing when said blond just raised a brow at him in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "It's the machine that was used to send the Pharaoh back to his own time!" He explained, stepping closer to the control panels, pressing one of the buttons and moving a lever forward. Suddenly, the machine lit up, and an image of what supposedly was ancient Egypt appeared on the screen. 

"Wow!" Yugi, a small teen with crazy hair exclaimed. "That's amazing Mokuba!"

Mokuba smiled proudly and moved a small joystick that was on one of the control panels. "It is isn't it? Seto thought it'd be a good idea to reuse the machine to see into the past!" He shouted in excitement. The others all stared at the machine in interest, while Joey, on the other hand, frowned and kicked the poor, inanimate object.

"It's not dat special, it's just a hunk of metal." He grumbled, kicking the side if it. Suddenly, a booming, demanding and slightly attractive voice barked out. 

"Get away from that mutt! It's worth more than you could ever make in your entire life, Wheeler!"

They all turned to see the owner and creator of the said machine himself. Seto Kaiba, the young, CEO of Kaiba Corp. Wearing his signature white trench coat with his logo on it, he made his way into the room, an air of authority surrounding him. Walking past the others, he stood in front of the blond, and within seconds, the two had a complete glaring contest. 

The first to avert his eyes was the loser in their minds.

"Hey, big brother! Come! let's show them how your machine works!" Mokuba called out, smiling brightly as he turned towards the desk with a computer on it and pressing some keys. 

"Alright." He mumbled, looking away and ignoring the little, 'happy dance' that the blond was doing. "The sooner we get this over with the sooner you dweebs can get out of my mansion." He uttered. Taking long strides to the operating machines, the young brunet began to work his magic, ignoring the dirty looks he received from. The sound of his taping echoed around the room, beeping noises followed afterward as the computer announced the completion of the machine's operative system. With everything online, they were now ready to set up the melee-program and turned everything on.

Within a few seconds, the machine was up and working, glowing at first with a bright light, before dissolving. Once the light began to dim down, images similar to that on a large, HD TV appeared. 

"Whoa!" Tristan, a tall, tan brunet with pencil-shaped hair gasped. The sight of the operating machine was breathtaking, something he never would have dreamed of seeing with his own to eyes. Intrigued by the sight, he placed his cup of coke onto one of the operating tables and leaned in closer.

"This is amazing Kaiba!" Tea breathed out, giggling with Yugi as they watched some of the children play in the sand. The imagery of people passed by, speaking in Arabic as they went on about their lives, completely oblivious to them all. Joey took in the images as well, slowly crossing his arms and looking away, pout on his lips.

"It's not _DAT_ great." He murmured, giving the machine a small kick. Little did the blond know, was that that one kick vibrated the machine, causing Tristan's drink to fall over, spilling its Soda-y goodness all over the operating panels. 

The panels and the machines all began to malfunction, smoke began to appear as the sound of sizzling was heard. Suddenly, a flash of huge lightning-like spark appeared, causing the machine to reverse any and every effect it once had. With a switch in the melee-programming, the computer suddenly announced its course change. Within seconds, it began to suck in everything close to it, like a black hole. Everyone panicked and tried to back away quickly, only Yugi wasn't strong enough. Before he knew it, the young teen was forcefully sucked in. 

"Yug!" Joey cried, instinct kicking in, as he ran closer and reached out to his friend. Able to withstand the pressure of the machine, the young blond grunted as he grabbed ahold of his friend's wrist. "Damn!" Joey growled, soon getting sucked in with him. Seto jumped and ran for them, in an attempt to save the two idiots. He was able to hold on to Joey's arm, only to have the blond's immense strength pull him forward.

A blinding light suddenly flashed by, making it hard for the others to see if their friends were alright. Yugi, Joey and Kaiba's screams were all heard as the sound of something being sucked in echoed loudly throughout the room. The sound of a man laughing boomed into the room, echoing through the walls as the deep voice began to laugh harder and harder.

Within a matter of seconds, the portal closed up and the machine broke itself down, leaving the other three that were behind shocked and confused. 

"Oh no," Mokuba whispered, checking his screen and trying his hardest to type something into the computer database, receiving no response. 

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Tristan asked in a panic, his two best friends had just been sucked into a machine. His 'oh no' was not something he wanted to hear at the moment, oh no was never a good sign.

Mokuba sighed in frustration, smashing the keyboard with his fist before banging his head down on it. After a few minutes, he looked up at them with a sadden expression. "My brother and the others were just sent back to the Pharaoh's past..."


	2. Egypt?

  
As soon as Joey opened his eyes, he found himself lying down on the sand.

A whole _lot_ of sand.

Sitting up, Joey found himself in the middle of the desert, his memory slowly returning. He remembered giving Kaiba's special whatever machine a kick, knocking Tristan's drink onto the said machine, and being sucked into it.

"Great, and now I'm in da middle of nowhere!" He shouted, standing up and dusting himself off, grumbling about how badly he'll be cursing at Kaiba for getting him in this mess.

Without knowing where to go, Joey started walking forward, placing one foot in front of the other and grunting as it slowly sunk into the deep and hot sand. His body burned and he began to sweat with the sun beaming down at him.

"Man, It's like a damn oven here." He mumbled, slowly peeling off bits and pieces of his clothing. Without much thought, he threw them onto the ground, not caring about the old rags he had the audacity to call clothes.

_'They were old anyway.'_ He thought, throwing his black vest onto the sandy ground. Once he was in nothing but a white muscle shirt and blue boxers, he began to make his way towards the sands, barefoot.

The shoes were old, not really that important anyway, just hand-me-downs. He's lived without them once, he could live without them again.

He walked and walked on for what felt like miles in the blazing heat, huffing and panting as his feet burned with each step he took, feeling as though his skin melted upon contact. He could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness, almost passing out from dehydration. That is, until God decided to bless him with the beautiful sight of an oasis.

"Oh please, don't let this be a mirage!" Joey begged, running with the little energy he had left in his sweaty body. Once he made it, he was happy to find that no, it was not a mirage. Getting down onto his knees, ignoring the pain of the hot sands on his knees, Joey dunked his head into the cool liquid, gulping down as much as he could as if he would never be able to drink the beautiful clear fluids again. Smiling, he popped his head out of the water and shouted his thanks at the sky.

_"Baaaaaaa"_

Baaaa.

That was what he'd heard in response to his thanks. Blinking in confusion, Joey turned his head slowly to the right and saw a sheep staring at him. Blinking again, he tilted his head to the side; the sheep copying his move, as the two just stood there, staring at one other. He chuckled and patted the sheep's head softly, laughing when the animal just licked him and had tried to eat his shirt.

"Hey!" He shouted, chuckling a little. "Don't eat my shirt! It's da only thing I have t' wear!"

He soon heard someone shout loudly at the skies, calling out in a strange language just a few feet away from him. Looking up, he spotted a girl who looked no more than twelve. She stared at Joey, then at the sheep, which was making its way slowly towards her. 

"Uh, hi!" Joey started, greeting the girl with a soft smile as he stood, dusting himself off. She just stared at him in confusion and curiosity. Slowly and with caution, the blond made his way towards the girl. "Hey, I need help... Do ya know where I am?" He asked her, tilting his head to the side.

Blinking, the girl raised a brow in confusion, before saying something in a language he couldn't really understand.

"Huh?" He responded she stared at him again, before quickly turning and running off into the direction in which she came from.

"Oi! Wait!" He called out, but to no avail, for the girl was already long gone and out of his sight. Sighing, Joey plopped himself down and waited, hoping that the young girl would come back with help. Feeling tired by his long trip and everything else that has happened up until this point, he sighed again and made himself comfortable near the cooling water. With a warm breeze and the soft sound of the oasis' water moving about softly, Joey slowly allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

-000000000000-

He was moving.

He didn't know how, but he was moving.

A bump was made, causing the blond teen to hop from his seat and somehow smack the back of his head against something hard. With a soft groan, Joey soon awoke to the sound of people shouting things in a strange language. Slowly opening his eyes, he found it hard to move his arms, which were bound behind his back.

"What da-" looking around, he saw that he was on a moving wagon of sorts, surrounded by miserable boys and girls. Some were women and men, while others looked no other then the age of ten. Seeing as they were all bounded was not a good thing, so Joey struggled to free himself and see if he could help free the others, but it was no use.

Soon the wagon stopped, and a large, tan man, holding a spear and wearing a red head covering, grabbed a girl and began to shout at her.

"Hey man!" Joey growled, struggling once again to try and stop the man. "Lay off! She's a gurl! Treat her wit respect!" But his words went unheard because the man soon disappeared.

As time went by, the man had come back and one by one, he had taken every single person that had been on the wagon. The last time he came, he grabbed Joey by the upper arm and forcefully pulled him out, just as he had done to all the others. 

"Lay off man!" Joey screeched, pulling himself away from the guard, only to get punched in the face and grabbed harder this time. Joey growled. "Oh, it's _on_ now!" He shouted, kicking the guard hard in between his legs. Once the large man was down, Joey used the opportunity to grab the spear and somehow use his skills to cut the rope, freeing his aching wrists. "Finally, ya bastard." He grumbled, rubbing his wrist.

Joey soon made a run for it, only to get seen by a few guards. 

"Shit!" He whispered to himself, turning to run towards a different direction. They followed him, but Joey was quicker. All those years of being in a gang and running away from the cops paid off. As he made a sharp turn, he bumped into someone. "Oof!" Falling on his butt to the ground, Joey shook his head and look up, only to meet a tall brunet with soft blue eyes and tan skin. "What da- Kaiba!" He exclaimed the two stared at each other for a moment, causing the blond to blush for some unknown reason. The brunet stared at him, and then slowly made his way towards him; Joey panicked and quickly stood, going into defensive mode in case Kaiba wanted to start a fight.

He spoke in the same language as the others as if he were asking him a question.

"What?" Was all Joey could ask before he was tackled to the ground by at least three beefy men, probably the guards that had been chasing him. They all shouted at him, before pulling him up and holding him tightly by the upper arms. Joey fought and struggled against them but had failed miserably, too weak and tired to do much anyways. The guards immediately said something to the Kaiba-look alike, before bowing to him deeply, forcing Joey to do the same.

Joey growled and fought, there was no way in hell he would ever bow down to Kaiba, much less his damn look alike. After struggling and refusing to bow, the guards all shouted at him and yanked his hair tightly, shouting nonsense and quickly taking him back to where they had been before. Joey cursed, not knowing what was going on. He glanced over his shoulder to the Kaiba look alike and stuck his tongue out at him, before being pulled away roughly by the tall, beefy men.

They tied his hands back together, even tighter than before, and quickly placed a plank thing around his neck, with pictures of birds and strange objects on them.

'_Hieroglyphs_...?' Joey thought, looking around as they pushed him to walk on some stage like-thing. He stood in front of a large crowd; all of them were mostly men, most old and most in their thirties, all shirtless and staring up at him with eyes that shine with interest and curiosity. Joey frowned and glared at all of them.

"Oi!" He cried out, taking a defensive stance. "What are ya lookin' at ya bums!" He growled, only making them talk amongst themselves. After a while, one of the men came out at started shouting something, only getting the others to rise up their hands and shout something back. This seemed to be going on and on for about a few minutes, before Joey got fed up and stomped his foot, trying to get their attention.

"Oi! Ya bastards may not be able t' understand me but seriously, I'm friends with the pharaoh!" They all ignored him and continued shouting, that is, until one man, an ugly old guy that looked like a pervert shouted loudly, getting one of the beefy guard guys to smile and call him up. Joey watched as a man came, holding a bag full of gold and handing it to the guard, it wasn't until Joey saw the exchange happen that he realized he was just sold as a slave. Struggling and shouting, Joey fought those who tried to hand him over, squirming as hard as he could to try and get away from them. Once he escaped their grasp, with his hands still bound behind his back, Joey turned and ran, only to bump into a hard chest.

Falling back on his butt, he grunted and glared up at whoever it was that had ruined his chances at freedom. Soft blue eyes stared down at him with interest and curiosity. Soon, he turned his eyes away and talked with the guard man, handing him twice as much gold as the old man had paid for him. Blinking, Joey stared up at the brunet in confusing, watching as he turned his attention back to him. Kneeling, the Kaiba look-alike stretched out his hand and waited for him to take it.

Joey puffed out his cheeks and looked away. "Humph!"

'O_bviously da idiot doesn't realize my hands are tied up.' _He thought bitterly.

Before Joey knew what was happening, he was suddenly picked up and thrown over the brunette's shoulder.

"What's da- lemmie go ya big ape!" He shouted, struggling to get off the Kaiba look a like's shoulder. The brunet simply chuckled and patted his butt affectionately, muttering something in Arabic. Joey blushed and squeaked in surprise, "y-ya pervert!" He shouted, still struggling. After a few minutes though, the blond's strength soon wilted away. He yawned and slowly nodded off to sleep. He'll deal with the Kaiba look-alike later when he had more energy.


	3. His Name Is Seth

Joey woke up in a nice, soft bed in a large room that seemed to be like something for the rich. A room he knew very well he’d never, in his lifetime, would ever afford or find himself in.

'_Damn rich people._' He thought bitterly, trying to sit up, only to have a soft voice say something to him and place a gentle hand on his chest. Looking up, Joey met the gentle brown eyes of a woman, who resembled Marik's older sister, Ishizu. She pushed him down gently and repeated what she had said again, slowly. Raising an eyebrow, Joey listened to her and nodded, lying back down as she dipped her hands into a bowl that was on her lap.

She grabbed a cloth that was in it and wrung out the water before placing the cool cloth on his forehead and cooling him down. Smiling, Joey looked up at her and nodded.

"Thank you." He mumbled politely, smiling brightly as she smiled back at him.

At that moment the large doors to the bedroom opened and in walked the Seto look alike. He turned his gaze towards the blond, who only glared back at him, with a look of interest, before turning his head to speak with the Ishizu.

After nodding at his instructions, she turned back to him and smiled, placing a hand on her chest and simply saying "Isis."

'_Oh, I get it.' _Joey thought, before sitting up and pointing to himself. "Joey."

Isis smiled, eyes sparkling brightly in excitement. "Joey." She repeated, sounding his name out. Joey chuckled and blushed, nodding.

"Joey." He said again, pointing to himself, then moving his hand towards her. "Isis." The two had their little moment of excitement and began to squeal a bit, now being able to communicate a little with one another; until the Kaiba look-alike cleared his throat.

The two looked up at him, and Joey couldn't help but growl out of instinct.

"Kaiba!" He shouted, glaring daggers at the taller male. The brunet just raised his eyebrow and looked towards Isis. She nodded and turned to Joey.

"Joey?" She asked, getting his attention. She lifted her hand and placed it on the Kaiba look alike's chest. "Seth."

Seth then turned towards Joey with a look of hope in his eyes, only to have the blond glare up at him. Joey then turned his head and made a "Humph!" noise.

"I'm not gonna look at cha' cause I don't like ya." He grumbled, crossing his arms. Sighing, he and Isis stood and headed towards the door. The two priests then stopped at the entrance and turned to look at the blond expectingly.

"What?" The blond asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head in question. Seth blinked, before raising his hand and motioning for him to follow him.

Pointing at himself, Joey stared at the two confused, "Follow?" He asked, hoping they would take the hint. When Isis smiled, he couldn't help but smile back.

She nodded and repeated the gesture. "Joey, follow." She said softly. It may have sounded like a master commanding her puppy, but Joey preferred to be with Isis, she had that Mother-like sense he had always wished he had, and he felt more comfortable with her. Joey nodded and stood, quickly going towards Isis. She giggled when he took her hand like a small child would a mother, and made her way to guide him to where they wanted him to go. As they walked, Seth and Isis talked, while Joey simply looked around at the scenery. He smiled and took in everything that was before him, the ornaments, the decorations and some of the paintings on the walls.

"Wow!" He gasped, letting go of Isis' hand and heading towards one of the statues of the Gods.

Being friends with Yugi and knowing the Pharaoh for a while now, he had come to learn a few things about Egypt itself.

"Anubis." He muttered to himself, eyeing the large statue in interest. It had the head of a dog and the body of a man. "Yer da guardian of da dead... Creepy lookin' guy aren't cha?" He mumbled, placing a hand on the statues chest and looking up at it. "Why the Egyptians worshipped ya if ya scare me t' death I'll neva know..."

Isis and Seth both watched as the blond stared at the statue for a while longer, before running up to another statue and staring at it with deep interest.

"Joey." Seth called out, capturing the said blond's attention. When Joey gave him a lost child look with big puppy dog eyes, Seth and Isis could not help but blush at the cuteness. Seth coughed and turned his head to look away while Isis squealed and walked over to him, she patted Joey gently on his head and grabbed his hand.

"Follow." She said softly to him, as the two of them headed towards a large room.

Inside was a large table, filled with food and fruits. Joey stared at it in awe, looking up at Isis and pointing to himself.

"For me?" He asked, tilting his head in questioning. Isis seemed to understand and nodded, gesturing for him to eat. "Eat?" He asked again, copying her gesture. Smiling brightly and nodding, she picked up a plate and handed it to him.

"Eat," she repeated softly, pushing him gently towards the food. Smiling, Joey nodded and quickly dug in, enjoying the food as much as he could.

-000000000-

Seth watched as Joey pigged out, enjoying the food and refusing the wine, taking only water.

"Strange little one, isn't he?" Isis began, standing next to Seth and observing Joey. "But what I do not understand is where he came from, clearly he is not from our time, and his way of speech is certainly interesting." She commented, observing the blond as if she were conducting research. Seth watched as Joey took a bite of a peach and munched away on it like a small animal.

"Yes, interesting indeed, but that is not what draws me to him. And _you_ seem to be enjoying yourself with the way he speaks."

Isis couldn’t help but smile and was about to respond until they heard the guards announce the arrival of the Pharaoh. The two priests turned and got on their knees and bowed as a young teen with lovely tan skin and tri-colored hair entered the room with an elderly man by his side. His crimson eyes soon darted towards Joey, who was holding a peach and staring at him with bright, curious eyes.

"Oh, we have a guest?" The Pharaoh asked, raising a brow towards Isis and Seth, who had just begun to stand.

"My Pharaoh..." Isis began, watching as the Pharaoh walked up towards the blond with a smile.

"Greetings, I am Pharaoh Atemu, and who might you be?" He asked politely, chuckling a bit as Joey tilted his head in confusion.

Seth soon walked up and stood by Joey's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"My Pharaoh, he does not seem to be able to understand us, so far all we know is that his name is Joey and that he is not from here nor is he from Greece or Rome." He explained, as Joey growled and slapped his hand away from his shoulder, shouting profanities and that all too familiar word 'Kaiba', before running off to Isis' side and staying there. "Also, he does not seem to like me much."

Laughing, Atemu turned to Joey and sent him a small nod.

"Then I guess he shall be our guest until we learn to take him home. Isis, since he seems to like you best, I suggest you show him to a guest room and give him proper clothing." Nodding in understanding, Isis took Joey's hand and led him out of the room, taking him towards the doors before exiting. Seth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I do not understand why he does not like me in the slightest; I _did_ save him from the slave market. If only I knew what this '_Kaiba_' was." He told the Pharaoh, as Atemu grabbed a pear and bit into it, chuckling at his cousin's frustration.

"I believe all those years of you being rude to everyone whom you've met has come back to mock you. I believe this is the Gods doing, they have decided to place a little challenge for you." Atemu teased, knowing that this would only annoy his dear cousin.

  
While the pharaoh and priest talked and occasionally bickered, an elderly man sighed.

"If you wish to speak more with the boy then I suggest you speak with Mahaad, I'm sure he will be able to find a way to translate what the boy is saying in order for us to find where he came from." At this being said, the two quickly turned to the elderly man, before nodding and heading out the door. Hopefully, Mahaad will have the answer to their little problem.

-Time skip-

"I see, you would like me to translate a language we do not know of?" Mahaad, a tall, tan man asked the Pharaoh, raising a brow. The Pharaoh and priest Seth had walked in and had explained the situation to Mahaad, hoping that maybe, he would be able to help them with their little guest problem.

"Are you saying that it is not possible?" Seth asked, a tad bit disappointed.

Mahaad smiled and placed a hand on Seth's shoulder. "I did not say it was not possible, but I can assure you it shan't be easy. It will take time; also, bring forth the one whose language you wish to understand, so that I may know what it is that I am dealing with." He explained. Nodding, Seth thanked Mahaad and turned to find Joey.

Once he was gone, Atemu smirked and turned to the tall priest.

"I can sense the love emitting from my cousin, he seems to be taking a deep liking to this 'Joey' boy." He simply said, snickering at the thought of his cousin finally getting paid back by the Gods for always being a bit cruel to other slaves. Mahaad turned to the pharaoh and smiled.

"I can assure you Pharaoh, that the blond will not love him back, for you see, he must already have a lover since he denies our dear Seth."

Suddenly, an idea passed by the two as they turned and smirked.

"Oh? Would thou like to place a little wager on that?" Atemu asked, raising a brow. Mahaad thought for a bit, before giving him a nod.

"Yes, indeed I would Pharaoh." He began. "The wager is, should the boy who has captured Seth's heart does indeed have another lover and denies Seth's feelings for him rudely, you must go to meet with all those kings I presented before you and pick out one of their daughters to be your future bride."

Atemu thought about it for a bit, deciding on whether or not he likes the terms, before nodding.

"Very well, I shall do as you say." Smiling, Mahaad lifted a hand to shake the Pharaoh's, but the young prince smirked and continued. "HOWEVER," he began, "should it be that the blond does NOT have a lover and falls for Seth, I am allowed to wait until I should fall in love and marry whom I please." He explained.

The two stood there, thinking about the conditions of the wager until they both nodded and took the hands of each other, giving it a firm shake to seal the deal.

"Agreed." They said in unison before Atemu smiled and headed towards the door.

"You shall see Mahaad, I shall win this wager." He jested. Mahaad let out a low chuckle and nodded, waving at the Pharaoh.

"We shall see my Pharaoh, be prepared to choose your bride soon my prince."

With that, the Pharaoh was out of the room; leaving Mahaad to sigh and get to work on creating a potion to translate whatever language it was that they had asked him to translate.

No, this will not be easy at all.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey looked around in excitement, he surprisingly enjoyed walking around the palace. And even though he was forbidden from going outside, he was having just as much fun inside as he would outside. It also helped that he didn’t really want to leave the safety of the palace, especially when those bastards were there.

He was left alone, due to the fact that they needed Isis for something. Sure, Joey knew that Seth was nothing like Seto, but he couldn't help but hate the other for having that stupid air of authority. He thinks he's so cool just because he's the high priest with his random millennium rod of power thing?

Well, who cares.

Joey hopped down the corridors of the palace and soon stopped when he spotted a garden within the palace walls. It was well kept with palm trees and grass everywhere, there was a large pool of sorts in the middle that was deep, extremely deep and had water lotuses floating around at the top.

It was truly beautiful.

"A garden fit for a king I suppose," Joey mumbled, running around in his new clothes. He was topless and wearing a skirt- yes that's right, it's a skirt for him! He had on sandals that the royals wore, and he knew the royals wore it because he remembered seeing Atemu wearing the same thing.

Joey was also wearing gold bands on his writs on both hands and a gold necklace. He had to admit, he looked damn good as an Egyptian.

The pharaoh's got nothing on him because he looked HOT!

Joey snickered at his own little joke and walked around the pool of sorts and sat down, dipping his feet into the water. Screw it; he didn't care much about ruining the sandals. As he swished his ankles around, Joey heard a soft giggle. Turning his head to look behind him, his eyes opened up wide as he spotted a girl that looked exactly like the dark magician girl, only she had darker skin and dark brown hair with big, bright chocolate brown eyes.

She slowly walked towards him, before breaking into a full-blown run. Once she was close to the blond, she smiled down at him brightly and sat down next to him, before talking to him in her language a bit too fast for him to understand, then again it's not like he could understand her at all in the first place. After a few moments, she realized that Joey couldn't understand her, so she smiled and pointed to herself, saying "Mana" before placing a hand at his chest and tilting her head to the side a little.

Joey blushed and smiled back, replying with "Joey" before laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his neck. The nervous blond then picked up a flower and turned to Mana, who stared at him with curiosity and interest. The blond then held the flower out in his hand and said, "lotus."

Mana raised a brow and picked it up, repeating the word. The blond couldn't help but giggle a little at the way she mispronounced the word and slowly, turned to her, sounding out the word slower this time. The young girl nodded and repeated the word, smiling brightly and letting out a small giggle. She then turned and pointed towards the pond, looking at him in expectation. Joey understood and simply said.

"Water."

Before Mana could repeat what he said, the two jumped at an angry and deep voice that called out their names. Turning, they saw Seth walking with another man and the Pharaoh. Mana quickly stood and bowed, while Joey raised a brow and glared at the tall priest whom he hates. This caused Seth to blink in confusion and the Pharaoh to laugh; why the three of them were there he would never understand. As they talked, Joey was beginning to feel hot, still not used to the scolding sun that beamed down at him angrily. Unable to take the heat for another minute, he turned his back towards the four Egyptians and jumped right into the pond, splashing Mana and Seth in the process.

Why did he jump in?

Because he's Joey and he could do what he wants to, I mean how can you actually expect him to get used to the heat? He was from Japan, not Egypt!

So obviously he was going to have to find a way to cool himself down.

Joey swam around for a while, feeling the cool water brush his whole body and cooling him down before he resurfaced and let out a short breath of relief. Looking up, he saw an angry Seth and a giggling Mana staring down at him. The brunette just growled and turned, shouting out.

"Joey! Follow!"

Said blond just huffed and got out of the water, crossing his arms and glaring at him.

"If ya think I'm following ya then yer wrong. I ain't goin' anywhere with ya Kaiba." He knew the others didn't understand him, but he didn't care. He just huffed and ran back into the palace, going all the way up to his bedroom, drying off as he walked. "If that stupid bastard thinks I'm his damn dog then he's got sumtin' t' learn about Joseph freakin' Wheeler!" The blond growled under his breath, going into the large room and staying there. There was no way he was leaving unless Isis was with him.

-00000000000-

"That could have gone better," Atemu mumbled, following an angry Seth around the corridors. He walked alongside Mana and Mahaad at a safe distance from Seth, trying to avoid the wrath of the angry Priest.

"I am well aware that it did not go well my Pharaoh, must you remind me of my misfortune?" Seth hissed through gritted teeth as he stomped his way down to Mahaad's office.

Once inside, the Priest grumbled and began to pace around the place, occasionally saying such things like, "Ungrateful." "No Respect." And "Cruel." The Pharaoh could not help but laugh at his cousin's rambling, it was not every day that he got so worked up over a rejection like that.

Once his laughter had died down a bit, Atemu examined his cousin and sighed, he then turned to Mana and asked the young girl what she was doing with the blond.

"Oh, Isis told me of him, so I wanted to go greet him, he was kind to me and he even taught me some words." She announced proudly, ignoring the jealous look that she began to receive from the tall brunet.

"Really now?" Atemu asked in a slight surprise. "What have you learned?"

With a bright smile, she ignored the priest's angry glare and continued.

"I learned that water for him is called 'Mizu' and the bird is 'Tori' and that 'Sora' means sky!"

They continued on with their conversation, all the while Seth grew even more jealous by the second.

Mahaad sighed and rubbed his forehead, he felt a headache coming to him at the thought of having to deal with these troublesome people.

"It appears that," he began to say, gaining everyone's attention as they all turn to listen to him speak. "Joey would rather listen to Isis and Mana, so I suggest that you find Isis and ask her to bring the blond here, for he will not come of his own will nor will he come if Seth or guards go to retrieve him."

The man said, watching as the others nodded in understanding. Seth simply let out a frustrated sigh and dipped his face into the palms of his hands, letting out a loud groan. What was it that made the blond loathe him so? Was it that he was a priest? Or was he just cruel to all men and only kind to the opposite sex? All these and more questions seemed to pop into Seth's mind as he stepped out the two large, golden doors to seek out the priestess.

Hopefully, she will be able to get the blond to obey.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As expected, Joey had followed Isis as she brought him into Mahad's office; she had introduced the two of them and had tried her hardest to calm Joey down when Mahaad had tried to take some samples of him in order to make the potion. Joey had been a little skeptical and rude to Mahaad at first, but he soon began to relax near the man, for he was gentle and kind, kind of like an older brother or wise uncle.

All in all Mahaad was like the father Joey had always wanted, and that just made the blond smile and accept him with open arms, even show enough respect to allow the man to take a few strands of his hair and place them in a weird cup-like thingy, but not enough respect for when the man had gotten a knife and looked like he was about to cut him. Nope, he didn't trust the man enough to let him come near him with a sharp object in hand.

Joey sighed and watched as Isis chatted with the man, the two looked so focused, and while they chatted the blond decided it would be a good idea to take in his surroundings. The room was large, with bowls scattered across the table that Mahaad was working at, vases filled with things Joey wasn't sure of what was around also, casually leaning against the walls and against a large wall was a cabinet like thing holding scrolls of all kinds, each scroll holding possibly some sort of important information in hieroglyphs that may be too hard for the blond to even understand.

'_I'd probably read it like 'bird bird water bird hawk sun-disk' and then where would that get me?_' He thought as he continued to look around. There were also writings, well more like drawings, on the wall of something that looked like an amazing adventure. There were pictures of women and men serving what looked to be the Pharaoh and some of the Gods too, such as Anubis. There was a picture of what could only be Horus, the God of the sky and Lord of heaven, he was portrayed with the head of a falcon and had the crowns of what could only be Upper and Lower Egypt.

The fact that Joey was able to remember what he was taught and what Yugi had told him was amazing, then again it _was_ a little interesting. He knew the story of Horus pretty well, Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis, Seth was his uncle, the Irony.

Seth had killed Horus' father when he was young and had taken the throne for himself when Horus grew up, he fought his uncle in order to avenge his father but had lost an eye during that battle. Horus had won the battle against his uncle Seth and had avenged his father, during which his eye represented the sun and his other eye represented the moon.

It was a strange story, which made no sense and yet, made a lot of sense at the same time.

Joey was soon taken out of his thoughts by a soft pat on his head, thinking it was Isis; Joey chuckled and turned his head, smiling brightly, only to face bright, crimson-colored eyes. Joey blinked in confusion, only to find that it was the Pharaoh.

Sending him a smile, he nodded at Atemu and allowed the teen to sit next to him. With a wave, he greeted the pharaoh with a simple, "Hi."

Raising a brow, Atemu smiled and repeating the action, chuckling when Joey's eyes lit up with excitement. The blond soon began to teach the Pharaoh a few words, such as Cape, Crown, Sandals, and Rings.

But little did the two know was the jealous gaze that they received from a certain blue-eyed brunet, who was watching them interact from afar.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Preparing himself for bed, Joey stood out in the balcony that he had in his bedroom. He sighed and breathed in the wonderful night air that he received when it blew lightly in his face. The soft and slightly chilled air was always welcomed, for he knew he wouldn't last very long in the boiling hot heat he has been enduring here in Egypt.

They had given Joey a wonderful room, filled with clean, linen sheets that smelled so fresh; he had soft pillows and an amazingly large bed, which was fit for a royal. The room was large, with gold decor that could be seen from all around, the walls were hard and sturdy with pictures of the Gods, which the blond did not mind at all, for he really enjoyed the stories of said Gods.

He enjoyed the room, it had a nice welcoming feel to it and it was nice to feel like a royal and rich for a change, compared to what he was normally used to in his old room.

His room back home was way different; he did not have a large, beautifully crafted bed frame with a soft mattress, nor fresh and clean linen sheets along with soft pillow cushions.

No.

Joey had a broken bed frame and a worn-out mattress with a thin sheet to cover him, his pillow was bearable but that was just about it, and his room was not bright, but dark and gloomy with old walls and paint that was peeling off. He _did_ have a window, but his only view was that of another building and an alleyway, with dumpsters and graffiti on the broken down and dirty brick walls.

Here, it was different, not only did he have a beautiful balcony with soft fresh air blowing in his face, but from his balcony, he could see it all.

He could see the village and the pyramids; he could see the Nile and watch as it glowed orange and red, with the water sparkling from the natural light that was presented before him.

Joey watched as some of the peasants went to get their children and bring them inside as the sun went down, or as they would believe, Ra settling down to rest before the epic battle that will take place in order to bring back the morning light while fighting Seth the Serpent.

Joey smiled as he imagined a serpent's body connected with Seto's head. Just that mere thought made the blond laugh. Now that he thought about it, he wondered what his friends were doing, and how was he to go back home to his time? This would be difficult, and it would be even harder for him to go back without, he hated to admit it but maybe it was high time he was a little nicer to Seth, the man acted _nothing_ like Kaiba.

Well, except on the occasions where he gets mad. But Seth would simply grit his teeth when he's losing his patience. Seto would just go into a large rampage and start ranting, Seth would hold in his anger and deal with the problem smoothly.

Seth did not act like a spoil rich boy and never flaunted his riches or the fact that he was royalty in Joey's face, he had been nothing but kind and protective.

Maybe Joey was a little too rude and rough to the poor priest, he was nothing like Kaiba. The young teen sighed and made a vow that the next time he sees Kai- _Seth_; he'd be kinder and wouldn't be rude to him unless rudeness was needed.

There was a soft knock coming from the two large, gold doors to his bedroom, and Joey just called what he could to allow whoever it was to enter, he was too busy enjoying the scenery to go get the door.

"Joey?" A deep voice asked.

'_Well speak of the devil.'_ The blond thought as he turned around and sure enough, there he was. The tall, tan brunet stared at him and nodded, standing at a respectful distance and handing out what looked to be a tray with fresh fruits and water for him. Sighing, Joey looked up to meet the priest's gaze, only to find the man looking down, avoiding him. Sure, it hurt a little, but he guessed he did deserve it since he was being a big old bag of douche to the Priest. Joey thought of ways to get the brunet's attention, smiling when a little light bulb lit up in his head.

"Seth?" He asked softly, watching as said brunet looked up at him, his soft blue eyes holding a look that was a cross of shock and disbelief. This was the first time that Joey had ever said his name. Smiling softly at him, Joey walked over and took the tray from him, nodding his thanks as he went inside to set the tray down on a little table that was next to his bed. Seth just watched, still in shock that Joey had not yelled profanities at him nor had he growled, glared or called him 'Kaiba' like he normally would.

Noticing the brunet's silence, the blond sighed and turned to him, smiling again as he simply said "thank you" and tried not to be rude about asking the brunette to leave.

Reading the air around them, Seth nodded quickly and headed towards the doors, Joey following behind to see him off. Turning, Seth gave the blond a rare, small smile and muttered, "thank you," before leaving, closing the door behind him. Joey could do nothing but gaze at the door with wide eyes, feeling his whole face go red and his heart quickly speeding up at the sight of Seth giving him that one small smile.

"W-what the hell am I blushin' like a gurl fo'?" He asked himself, shaking his head and patting his cheeks gently, in hopes of making the blush go away, failing miserably.

Sighing, Joey walked with red cheeks and all, to where he had left the tray earlier and had poured himself a glass of water. Gulping it down, he sighed as he finally began to feel himself cool down a bit.

"That was weird... I shouldn't even be blushin'! I ain't into guys!" That was a complete lie and he knew it. He may have a small thing for guys, but it was not like anyone knew the truth, only Yugi did, and that was only because Yugi was _actually_ into guys.

Yugi had been in love with Yami and had cried his little heart out when the other had left. And Joey may have slightly only a tad bit, have a small crush on Kaiba, that is until the tall brunet began to act even more like an asshole towards him than usual as of late.

"But Seth... Is different..." He mumbled, remembering how the other had not only saved his butt but had been kinder than the actual Kaiba. He hadn't forced him into slavery or had made him do harsh labor, nor had he forced Joey into anything sexual. Ok so maybe Seth was _way_ better than Kaiba on so many levels but that didn't mean that Joey would be falling head over heels for the man! It was just like his history teacher had once told him:

Falling in love with someone and giving them your heart is like giving a random stranger the keys to your house...

Sighing once more, Joey let himself fall onto the soft sheets of the bed beneath him, allowing his train of thoughts to continue its comparison of Seth and Kaiba. Maybe he'll eventually come to some sort of conclusion in the nearby future. Sliding in between the sheets, for the cool breeze of the Egyptian air at night was much colder than it was when it was morning, Joey continued on with his thoughts.

Now that he thought about it, Seth was pretty handsome. He was a spitting image of Seto that's for sure but he had something different, and no it was different personality-wise and not just in appearance. I mean sure, he was tall and had a beautiful tan that made him look sexy, and those piercing blue eyes that were a tad darker than the actual Seto, making them as blue as the deep ocean. And his hair, soft and long, so luscious with a scent that was different and natural compared to the musky, dark cologne that Seto wore.

Oh, who was he kidding? Seth was the sexiest thing he had ever seen! Maybe it would be better to close himself off for a while; then again he _could_ give the priest a chance. Smiling at the thought, Joey began to slowly fall asleep, cuddling close to the fluffy and soft pillows he was given. Yes, he would keep his heart closed off from anyone, but he would give Seth a chance and see where things would go from there.

As Joey dozed off, Seth watched from behind his door, smiling softly at the figure that the moon reflected, outlining Joey's body as he slept peacefully on the bed. The brunet had never been happier then he was now, and he had no clue why.

Seth was completely clueless as to why his heart skipped a beat when his eyes first made contact with Joey's beautiful, honey-colored ones, nor was he sure as to why he wanted to punch the man who had almost purchased the blond before him. Seth frowned at the thoughts of what would have happened had he let the old man keep the beautiful boy, that man would have probably used the boy for his own pleasures, he would have just forced the boy into doing something he did not want to.

Just the mere thought of Joey tied up on his knees at the mercy of someone else made Seth want to knock someone out cold.

Sighing, the brunet turned his attention to the sleeping blond, smirking to himself as Joey muttered something in his sleep and began to wave his hands and feet aimlessly up in the air. The priest could not help himself and had just gone off to stand right at the side of Joey's bed, watching as the blond slept peacefully. The smile never left his lips as he allowed his eyes to travel from Joey's soft face to his shoulders, then his collarbone all the way down his chest and stopping at the waist. Never before had the brunet wanted someone so much in his life as he wanted the blond before him, never in his life has anyone ever bluntly refused to even be with the priest.

He had wondered why? Seth had money, he was highly respected and powerful, he had women and even _men_ kneeling down at his feet for him to take them. He knew he was handsome, everyone told him so, and there were many who would die at the thought of having him, priest Seth, guardian of the millennium rod, take them on the floor before him.

So why was it that this one boy, this young peasant whom he had found in mere rags, hated his guts and had wanted nothing to do with him? Why was it that this one boy was able to shout at him and even hurt him if they would not hold him back?

Seth reached out and ran his fingers softly across Joey's soft cheek; he smiled as he admired the blonde's beauty. More gorgeous than any of the women the Pharaoh was presented with, more beautiful than any of the women from Greece or Rome, or any other place that was close by and had come just to give themselves to the Pharaoh or priests. Joey soon began to stir in his sleep, moving his cheek closer to Seth's hand.

The brunet just knelt down at the edge of Joey's bed and watched as the blond soon began to softly snuggle closer to his fingers, smiling, he made a bold move and leaned down to kiss his cheek. His smile grew once the blond giggled at the soft lips that brushed by his cheek. Seth then moved and was about to kiss Joey's lips, until Joey began to mumble in his sleep, and let out a soft sigh, muttering to himself.

"Seto..." Softly escaped Joey’s lips, as he turned away from Seth, to sleep on his side.

Seth blinked, registering what the blond had mumbled and glared at the ground. Standing, Seth gave Joey one last glance, before turning on his heel and leaving straight out the door.

Once out, he made sure he made no sound when closing it, and headed off to the throne room, where the Pharaoh and the other's were. Once he had entered, Atemu was the first to notice his cousin's anger. Quickly excusing himself from the other priests, Atemu went to ask him privately about what Joey had done this time to enrage him.

"I assure you my Pharaoh; it is nothing that you must concern yourself with. It is merely a personal matter." Seth tried to assure him, but Atemu was sharp and did not back down, asking again and again until finally, Seth gave in and began to explain to Atemu what had occurred in Joey's sleeping quarters. Nodding and listening to Seth's story until the priest finished, the Pharaoh could not help but laugh at Seth's little show of affection.

"Do you find something amusing about my current situation my Pharaoh?" Seth asked, not bothering to hide his irritation. Atemu chuckled and patted his dear cousin's shoulder sympathetically.

"I do. You, my dear cousin, are jealous of the man whose name has escaped your little pet's lips." He teased, bursting out laughing at the wide-eye look that the priest had given him.

"Jealous, you say?" Seth muttered, thinking deeply about it. It is true, he was jealous of whomever this "Seto" was. Was this the reason the blond was so cruel to him for? Was this the reason the blond would not give him the time of day nor would he even spare him a slight glance?

Without realizing it, Seth had just voiced his thoughts out-loud just as the others had come to see what the matter was.

"So, Joey has a lover?" Mahaad asked, smiling at the Pharaoh knowingly. Atemu rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm afraid not Mahaad, Joey does not have a lover I assure you, so please do not get your hopes up just yet." The pharaoh murmured, turning his attention back to his cousin. Seth had been thinking about it, and just the thought of Joey with this 'Seto' figure made his blood boil. He did not know why, but what he did know was that he did not like the feeling he was getting.

"Whoever this 'Seto' is, I can assure you." Seth began, getting everyone's attention. The others watched with concern at the growing aura of hate that was emitting from the priest at that moment. "That I shan't allow him to beat me in the battle to win Joey's heart." With those words, Seth turned on his heel and left towards his room.

He vowed to himself then and there, that he would try whatever he could to court the blond, and there was no way that this 'Seto' would get in the way of it, lover or not. Seth always got what he wanted, and in that instant, he only wanted Joey.


	4. The Dagger Incident

It had been a few weeks since Joey had first arrived in Egypt. He had enjoyed every single minute of it, and was glad that Seth was being kinder to him; then again it could be that he was returning the favor. He had been sweeter to him, less yelling and insults and more smiling and respecting the man. And to reward him for everything, Seth had finally allowed Joey to go beyond the palace walls, with Seth by his side of course.

The blond couldn't be any happier.

When he was first told to follow him, Joey was a little hesitant but complied and had gotten up from what he was doing to follow the priest. He had been with Mana out in the palace garden teaching her a little Japanese, he enjoyed watching the girl so interested in learning his language, occasionally pointing things out for him to say so that she could repeat, such as 'Grass', 'Palm Tree' or 'Cat'.

He also enjoyed teaching Isis the same things and watching her giggle with Mana at finally getting the hang of speaking the same language as him. Joey would have to admit that he, too, had been a little giggly with the girls once he noticed that they could all communicate, even if it was a little. Mana would sometimes even take Joey for a walk around the parts of the palace he had never been to and had shown him things he was sure the servants weren't allowed to see. Everything was so interesting, and this made Joey so happy knowing that he was able to see it all, hell he was even glad he remembered half the things Yugi and Yugi's grandfather had taught him.

And now that he was finally heading outside the palace walls, Joey couldn't help himself from doing a half-assed dance and even kissing Seth's cheeks multiple times, thanking him over and over again. The brunet had turned a tad pink and had touched his cheeks, but smiled at Joey, before offering his hand and guiding the blond out into the village.

The blond smiled as they walked all over the markets, seeing what they had to offer without even realizing that he was holding onto Seth's hands the whole way. Joey watched as others stared at him weirdly, he didn't mind much, but it seemed that Seth had a problem with it; the brunet would glare and hiss at anyone who would even smile at Joey. The blond raised a brow and was about to speak up, until he spotted a little girl, running off into an ally with some strange looking men following behind. Quickly letting go of Seth's hand, Joey dashed off to where the girl went, trying to see what was the matter. Once he found her, he saw what the others were doing. The three strange-looking men had her pinned to the ground, laughing and ignoring her cries for help. Joey growled and acted on impulses, punching one of the guys straight in his face and knowing that he had busted his nose.

"What da hell do ya think your doin'?" He asked, glaring at the other two. One of them glared at the blond and dashed for him, throwing a fist in the air and getting ready to hit Joey in the face, until the blond ducked and grabbed ahold of the man's upper arm, lifting him up in the air and flipping the man over so that he laid flat on his back on the ground. Ugly man number two then charged at Joey with a dagger, he attempted to cut the blond's arm, only to miss and get elbowed hard in the face by Joey. He left the hurt man on the ground, groaning in pain and watching as he clenched his now broken and bleeding nose.

Joey turned to the other and raised a brow, smirking when that man quickly squeaked and ran off, not wanting to get hurt. Turning his attention towards the little girl, the blond was shocked to find that it was the same little girl he had spotted when he had first gotten there.

"You alright? They didn't do anythin' to ya did they?" He asked softly, walking up to her slowly, so he didn't frighten her.

Now that he got a good look at the girl, he saw that she was really pretty. She had short black hair, and bright green eyes, she even had light freckles across her face which made her look adorable. The more Joey took in, the quicker he noticed that she had her wrists tied behind her back and was wearing a plank across her chest with ropes tied around it like a necklace.

Frowning, the blond teen walked up to her and helped her up, he wanted badly to untie her and make sure she was safe and sound, so he decided what he could to keep her out of harms way, and the only way to do that would be to make the girl a slave at the Pharaoh's palace and make sure she stood by his side.

Smiling softly at her, Joey walked her out of the ally and back towards the market, assuring her that everything would be fine so that she would stop struggling and crying out in fear every now and then. Just as Joey was walking, he heard someone out to him.

Turning to take a quick glance over his shoulder, he spotted some angry guards pointing in their direction and heading their way. Frowning, Joey picked up the poor girl bridal style and ran as fast as he could, just as he had when he was in a gang.

With quick feet, he climbed up on top of whatever he could find to escape the police or whoever it was that was of the law trying to chase him down.

As Joey turned a sharp corner, he bumped into a hard chest and fell on his ass to the ground, holding the girl in his arms and making sure she was un-harmed.

"Joey?" A familiar voice asked in surprise. looking up, honey eyes met soft blue ones as the guards began to run closer. Remembering his situation, the young blond quickly stood and let the girl stand as he quickly covered her from view, glaring at the guards who yelled at him once they were standing close enough for him to hear. It took them a while of yelling before Seth stood in front of Joey and crossed his arms, giving them the hardest glare they have ever seen. After what seemed to be an apology, the guards bowed down to Seth and began to talk, pointing at the girl and staring at her every once in a while. Seth would glance at the girl, whom Joey was holding protectively in his arms and nodded to alert the guards that he was listening.

Once they had finished speaking, Seth turned towards Joey and reached out a hand, grabbing the girl from the upper arm and dragging her, ignoring her protests and handing her to the guards. But before the guards could get a hold of her, Joey cried out.

"No!" And snatched her away, holding her close and protecting her from them. '_They can't take her away..._' He thought, glaring at them as they all stared at the blond in surprise.

"Joey..." Seth began as if asking him to give the girl back to the guards; Joey stared at him in shock, before he began to quickly come up with a way to get Seth to buy her. A light bulb lit up in Joey's head, and he just said one simple word that he had used on Seth a while back, knowing that the priest fully understood what it meant.

"No Seth..." He began, staring straight into the priest's eyes pleadingly, "Mine..."

Seth stared at him in amazement and was about to protest, but the pleading look on Joey's face made it hard for him to say no. Seth sighed and turned back around, speaking briefly with the guards before handing them what seemed to be a bag of gold, buying the girl from them. The young male couldn't help himself, and smiled brightly, watching as the guards bowed and went on their way.

"Joey..." Seth began in an exhausted tone, turning towards the blond with eyes that looked hurt. But Joey was too happy to notice, and just smiled, hugging Seth tightly and kissing his cheek in gratitude.

"Thank you, Seth!" He thanked, before turning back to the girl and taking the plank off of her slim neck. Seth had taken out a small dagger and had cut the ropes off her arms, he soon began to speak to the girl, instructing her on some things and letting her know that she now belonged to Joey. The girl nodded at the priest's every word, occasionally allowing her eyes to wander to the blond, before paying attention to the priest.

Joey then spent the rest of the day walking hand in hand with the girl and watching the market with Seth. When it came time to go back into the palace, Joey had stopped in the front steps and turned towards the girl, smiling brightly at her. Seth had also stopped, wondering what Joey was up to and making sure he didn't do anything that would hurt him.

Joey placed a hand on his chest and simply introduced himself.

"Joey." He began, before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and simply smiling brightly at her.

"Serenity."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seth was pacing angrily around Mahaad's study, grumbling angrily through gritted teeth while Mana, Isis, Mahaad and Atemu watched, their heads following Seth as he paced.

"Priest Seth?" Mana asked, watching as the other just muttered something about a slave. "What is the matter? Did you not have a good time when you were with Joey out at the market?"

Seth stopped his pacing and took a deep breath, before turning to the others. He had tried his hardest not to show his anger towards Joey, but it was getting harder to do so in front of the others.

"He has bought himself a slave." He explained, his voice wavering a bit in the end as the result of his uncontrollable anger, watching as everyone's face turned into that of confusion.

"A slave?" Isis asked, raising a brow in confusion. Seth only nodded at her and watched as the others began to mutter amongst themselves in their confusion.

"He also named her '_Serenity._'" He added, spitting the name out bitterly. Upon hearing the name, Mana's face lit up brightly as she squealed, liking it very much.

"Oh! That is such a pretty name! What do you think it means?" She asked, turning towards the Pharaoh.

Atemu smiled at the sight of a bright and happy Mana, giving her a soft look as he hummed in thought. "Hm, well, judging by the way the name sounds, something beautiful and precious I presume."

Seth growled under his breath in rage, he did not like the thought of Joey seeing someone else as beautiful and precious. As the priest continued to curse the girl from here to the high heavens, he hadn't noticed that his growling had caught the attention of all the others as they turned their attention towards the priest.

"Have you any idea why he may have wanted to get a slave?" Mahaad asked he wondered what Joey was thinking.

Was the blond so dense to the way the brunet felt towards him? Not to mention the fact that the priest was the jealous type and would get jealous of anyone, that includes a child, who would try to take Joey. In these last few weeks Seth had shown everyone what it was that he wanted and what he intended to do to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was Joey.

"No, I have not, and knowing that is what irritates me Mahaad." Seth responded, heaving a frustrated sigh. "How is that potion coming along? Please tell me that it is finished." He asked, his eyes somewhat pleading that he did have it done and ready for Joey to take so that they could speak to him properly.

Mahaad let out a sigh and gave Seth a sad smile.

"My apologies Seth, but no I do not. It is a lot harder then it seems." Seth narrowed his eyes and turned his head so that he was glaring at the ground. He hated the fact that he was only able to communicate with Joey a little. But the blond had refused to learn their language, and now that he had his little _Serenity_, it would be harder for Seth to learn to speak Joey's language.

"I assure you that I shall have it done before you know it... There's just one ingredient I really need, but it will be hard to obtain..." Mahaad explained, a worried look crossing his face as the others stared at him in confusion. Seth whipped his head around to stare at him.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked, almost eagerly, trying to see if he could get the ingredients to make the potion.

Mahaad sighed and stared at them, a sad smile on his lips as he turned his attention back to tall brunet. "In order for me to complete the potion, I need a few drops of Joey's blood..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Bread.

That was all that Serenity ate.

Bread.

She just munched away on it, gulping it down as if it were the last meal she'll ever eat. Joey was currently sitting down at the table with Serenity, watching as she ate the bread he had gotten for her and drank her water.

"Serenity?" He asked gently, trying to make sure she drank slowly so that she didn't choke.

She looked at him, before coughing and spilling a bit of her water on Joey's lap. The blond was more concerned about her and had grabbed a nearby cloth, cleaning her mouth and making sure she was alright. When the girl nodded, showing him that she was completely fine, Joey smiled brightly at her and chuckled a bit, causing her to giggle, before the both of them burst out laughing.

The two had hung out like he would with his actual sister. He had shown her the royal gardens and all around the palace, taking her to eat some of the fruits he had been given and watching as her eyes lit up with envy and happiness at everything. Just watching her giggle and being so happy made the blond miss his own sister. He had always prayed that she was alright, he prayed before bed, when he woke up and before he ate that Serenity was happy, healthy and that if Tristan or Duke tried anything he would get back there and kick their asses from Japan all the way back to modern Egypt.

Joey sighed as he felt his stomach growl. It appeared that taking good care of her made him hungry, but he didn't mind. He liked caring for someone who was like him, homeless. Sure, his dad was great and all but he would often kick Joey out of the house and would lock him out. He was sometimes set up as a prize whenever his dad went gambling. Smiling brightly at her, Joey patted her head and told her it was fine. He would protect her if it meant his life...

Being preoccupied with the girl, Joey failed to see as Seth made his way towards them, frowning a bit at the sight of the two of them getting a little too close to one another.

"Joey?"

At the sound of his name, Joey turned and smiled as Seth walked into the room. The brunette stared at him in concern, before his gaze turned to Serenity. Joey just smiled and waved at him, before lifting Serenity's plate and running off to get more things for both of them to eat.

Little did the blond know, was that leaving Seth alone with the girl was not a good idea. The brunet glared at her, watching as she freaked out under his gaze.

"What is your real name?" Seth asked, the coldness in his voice was so powerful that it could have frozen all of Egypt, had Seth the power to do so.

The girl shivered and looked down, bowing her head low in respect to the priest.

"Clefia..." She mumbled, trying not to anger the man anymore.

"Listen here then Clefia." Seth began his voice powerful and with authority. "Look up at me." He ordered, using the head of the Millennium rod to lift her chin up. Green eyes met blue as he glared at her with an intensity that would have murdered anyone with just one glance, had he been given the power to do so.

"I want you to be a good little servant to Joey, do you understand?" He asked, raising a brow at her. She gulped and hesitantly nodded, never turning her eyes away for fear of getting smacked by the rod. "Good, I'm glad we have an agreement. I do not want what is precious to me to be harmed in any way, shape, size or form. Do you understand?"

Nodding rapidly, Clefia listened to every single word that spilled out of Seth's mouth. He was different from Joey, he was crueler and showed no mercy, while Joey protected and cared for her like a good older brother. And just the thought of that made Seth's blood boil, however, before the brunet could do anything though, Joey made his way into the room with a tray filled with food and fruits for the both of them to eat. He had glanced at them and given them a suspicious look, before shaking it off and just sitting down to eat with Clefia.

As he dug in, Seth made sure to mutter something that he knew the girl would understand.

"I want you to take Joey to Mahaad's office and get a few droplets of blood for me, do not disobey my orders or else it shall be proven fatal."

With that being said, the brunet smiled at Joey, patting his head affectionately and walking off. He smirked to himself as he thought back to the confused look he received from the blond.

Yes; Joey was indeed a cute and precious thing. Nothing and no one will ever take him away and he would make sure of it. Seth walked out of the room and made a sharp turn when he was at the end of the hall, bumping into an excited Mana.

"Mana? What is going on?" He asked, the girl only got this jittery when something exciting or important happened.

The small tanned female looked up at him for a few moments, trying to process what he had just said, before smiling up at him brightly and standing, she dusted herself before hopping up and down on the spot.

"Seth! You will not believe what it is that I have heard the peasants muttering today when I was at the market with Mahad!" She screeched.

Raising a brow and becoming a bit impatient, the brunet crossed his arms and sighed.

"What have you heard? Has a royal come to seek the approval of the pharaoh so that he may wed their daughter again?" Mana shook her head and gulped in a large amount of air, before whispering to him excitedly.

"I heard the peasants muttering about a white-skinned man, that looked just like you!" She told him. This only confused Seth further and he questioned the girl to explain herself, there was no way that someone would be just like him, it was impossible.

"Well yes, he is not _exactly_ you. The peasants say he speaks an unknown language, much like Joey's and that he is cruel and loud. He has a gaze that could freeze the very air and short brown hair." She explained, running her hands through her own brown locks. "Also, he is strong and can fight off anyone who tries to harm him." Seth blinked, trying hard to push back the little voice in the back of his head that was shouting that obvious name.

The brunet watched as Mana sang and hopped up and down in circles, saying how she would like to meet this man. By the looks of it, it seemed like the young girl had begun to have feelings for this, 'Other Seth'. Smirking in amusement, Seth watched as the girl spun in circles, before finally asking.

"And what is the name of this white-skinned man?" Mana stopped on her spot and smiled brightly at him, saying the name in a dream-like tone.

"They say he calls himself, Seto..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Clefia sighed as she walked hand in hand with Joey, taking him straight to where priest Mahaad was supposed to be. Hidden within her skirt, was a small dagger that she had found hidden within the royal garden in some bushes. She did not want to do it but she had no choice, she had to take Joey to where high priest Mahaad was and get a sample of his blood in order for priest Seth to make some sort of potion. She had no idea what sort of potion they were trying to make but she knew well then to pry into the affairs of the royal family.

Joey was confused but followed Clefia none the less, he was so loyal that it only made things worse for the girl when she took his hand and lead him down the parts of the palace where he had taken her just days ago when she had just arrived at the palace.

Clefia entered the room with Joey close behind her, and there she spotted Seth, Mahaad, Mana, Isis, and the Pharaoh. Due to instinct, Clefia quickly bowed down deeply to all the others, causing the dagger to fall from her clothing and clang onto the floor.

Joey raised a brow and watched as Clefia tried to pick up the dagger, her nimble hands shaking and causing her to keep dropping the said dagger. The blond simply smiled and bent down, trying to help the young girl. But instead, the sharp end of the blade ran across his left palm and cut him deeply. Joey couldn't help but let out a loud hiss and stood as he held his palm tightly, trying not to lose too much blood. Clefia watched as all the others surrounded Joey to see if he was alright, with Seth grasping Joey's palm gently and examining it, sending a quick glare in her direction.

Clefia did not know what to do; she had just harmed her savior. Sure, she was going to do it before but she was only going to prick his finger and nothing more, she hadn't meant to cut his palm deeply. The sight of blood was too much for the young girl to bear, she dropped the now bloody dagger and had run off, ignoring Joey's worried cries of her name.

Once Clefia was out of sight, Mahaad sighed and lifted the dagger. He then turned and went to his desk, grabbing the potion he had made and scrapping the blood off the blade of the dagger. He watched as the blood mixed with the other ingredients, turning the once green-like potion to beautiful honey-colored one, matching Joey's honey-like eyes.

During this Joey had broken away from Seth and the others and ran after the girl. Seth cried out Joey's name, wanting to go after him but getting stopped by Atemu.

"Let him be Seth, he shall come back I just know it." Not wanting to believe his words but obeying him, Seth sighed and stood where he was.

"The potion is complete," Mahaad announced, turning to the others and lifting up the cup he had with the potion inside it. "Now all we must do is have Joey drink this, and he shall be able to understand our language..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey ran and ran, looking all around for her, but he could not find Serenity anywhere.

"Serenity!" He shouted, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from all the others.

Joey had looked all over for Serenity, but the young, 12 year old was nowhere to be found. He couldn't give up, he needed to find her and he needed to do so quickly. He didn't trust those guards and the two had recently grown closer in these last few weeks, he knew that there was no way he would just leave her alone.

Joey was glad that the guards and most of the people at the market knew who he was and what he was capable of. The blond looked from left to right, looking deeply into alleyways and heading further and further away from the palace, he wasn't going to return until he found her.

He had searched high and low, every nook and cranny for the green-eyed slave girl, but could not find a single trace that could lead him to her whereabouts. Sighing in defeat, Joey turned and tried to find his way back to the palace, knowing full well that Seth will probably have a camel if he didn't show up in time for supper.

'_Serenity must be hungry..._' He thought sadly, holding his now growling stomach. 'C_ome ta think of it I am too..._' He continued to walk and look around, trying to figure out where he had come from, only to be met with stalls filled with trinkets and things that the people of Egypt might buy. The sound of people rushing to get home and venders trying to advertise their merchandise could be heard floating in the air. Sighing once again, Joey looked up and was happy to find a palace guard; the blond quickly ran up to him and poked his shoulder. Once the man turned around and notice Joey, he bowed deeply and said something in Arabic. Joey just raised a brow and pointed towards the palace, he smiled brightly once he saw that the guard seemed to understand what he wanted.

After a few moments, Joey and the guard walked and walked throughout the whole market place. To the young blond, it felt as though the two had been walking in circles and it was soon starting to irritate Joey to no end, and strangely, he began to miss everyone.

He missed the pharaoh, and Mana, he missed Isis and the way the two girls would squeal when he ate fast or said something a certain way. He missed the look on some of the guards when they would freak out when he put a snake near them to see if they'd move, he missed when Mahaad would pat his head occasionally and run off when Seth would see and throw his sandal at him.

But most of all he missed the tall, tan, blue-eyed brunet himself.

He wondered how the other was, what he was doing and if maybe, just maybe, he was thinking of Joey like he was thinking of him. The blond teen sighed sadly and stared at the ground, if only Seth was there, then he'd give him a big hug, just like the ones he would receive when the other looked like he was about to collapse due to all the stress and pressure of being a priest. He missed patting and stroking his hair when he would allow the blond to sooth him.

He missed it when he would cry in the middle of the night and go straight to Seth's room, snuggle up between the sheets and sleep there to feel better. He even missed when the other would rant to him. Even if it was in a different language, he missed the sound of the priest’s gruff yet very sexy voice.

Joey looked up at the clear, starry sky and began to pray that he could see Seth again. He normally did not pray to the Egyptian gods, but he decided that since he was in Egypt, he might as well try.

After a few minutes of walking, the guard seemed to come to an abrupt stop, causing Joey to bump into his back and fall on his butt to the ground. But before he could ask why, he looked towards the direction of what the guard was looking and gasped, he smiled brightly when he saw that familiar brown hair that he grew to love so much these last few months.

Standing up quickly, Joey ran towards the figure and hugged it tightly from behind.

"Seth!" He exclaimed, smiling brightly he snuggled closer to Seth's back and breathed in his smell.

Suddenly, he realized something was wrong.

"Seth...?" He asked with uncertainty. Looking up, he met those piercing blue eyes, the only problem was, they did not belong to Seth.

"Oh no..." Joey muttered, before letting go and backing away slowly. "No no no not you!"

"Mutt... Where the _hell_ have you been?!"

\


	5. Seto-Fucking-Kaiba

"Well?" The brunet asked in annoyance. Joey could do nothing but stare at him intensely, he didn't want to see Seto at the moment, he didn't want to see him at all. He wanted Seth. It was strange admitting it but at the moment he didn't care, he really missed the priest who was so kind to him throughout these past few months. Now, Joey was standing in front of Seth's look-alike, Seto Kaiba, getting glared and yelled at. It made the blonde's heart break because he resembled the kind priest so much.

He knew the two were not the same, but it still hurt.

Before either of the two could say anything, the guard cleared his throat, re-capturing Joey's attention. The two turned towards him as the guard pointed to a random direction, possibly the direction towards the palace, where the Pharaoh and Seth were at. Joey nodded, understanding what the guard was trying to tell him and the two began walking away. Looking back at Seto from over his shoulder, he waved for the taller male to follow him. Not once caring if the cruel CEO would or not, Joey just kept following the guard.

He just wanted to get back to the palace and see the others, he was not up for the emotional pain and verbal abuse the CEO usually puts him though, perhaps Egypt had made him grow soft...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was odd, the mutt usually growled or yelled back at him, he didn't just stare, looking all pained and disappointed. Watching the other made him feel a pang of guilt like he always did after he would spout out a cruel comment at the other, but he just pushed the emotion away as always and followed the blond. Who knows, maybe he knows where the midget was so that the three could somehow get the hell out of there and pretend that this never happened. Maybe he'd even get to punish his pup when they return; after all, it was the blond who destroyed a multi-million dollar machine.

The three soon walked throughout the market, and Seto noticed they were getting closer to the palace of the Pharaoh. As they walked on he noticed people staring at them, and most of the men were staring at Joey. It was then that Seto noticed the looks of lust in their eyes as they eyed the blond. This made him angry as he growled at them all, he didn't like the way they stared at Joey. Although it's true he'll admit that he, in fact, held some sort of infatuation towards Joey.

But that must only be just his hormones or infatuation, nothing more nothing less.

Seto let his own eyes linger towards the blonde's body and now that he looked at him properly, he saw that the blond was wearing a tunic, with a gold belt around his waist that the royals used. The tunic itself was above his knees and clung to his body, showing off his rather nice curves and the sway of his hips was intoxicating. Seto allowed his eyes to linger to Joey's upper torso and he noticed the blond was shirtless, allowing the world to check out his nicely toned and slightly tanned torso. The blond was also wearing a gold necklace; it sort of looked like a collar on him, as if to say 'Taken'.

At this, he frowned, who was the one that got the blond into a collar anyways? The bastard will pay for taking what belonged to him.

Wait, Joey didn't belong to him.

He didn't want Joey!

Why would he want a mutt? Does he want Joey? As these thoughts ran through his mind, he failed to take in that they had already arrived at the Palace.

"Joey!"

A voice similar to his own, yet much lighter, laced with affection and worry called out, taking Seto out of his own thoughts. The brunet turned his attention to Joey, only to see him in a tight embrace, with a brunet that resembled himself only with slightly longer hair, softer blue eyes and tan. Seto growled, he didn't like what he was seeing. The brunet was holding Joey tightly in his arms, his face twisted into that of worry, but that wasn't what made Seto snap, what made Seto snap was the sight of Joey actually returning the embrace. The two held each other for a little while as Seto watched in rage and utter shock, as the two parted the Seto look-alike cupped Joey's cheeks and rubbed them with his thumbs affectionately, looking deeply into Joey's eyes and smiling lovingly at him. Joey smiled back and giggled, literally giggled, as he stared into the look-alike's eyes.

"Seth..." He whispered softly. That one word made something in Seto snap, as the brunet reached out and forcefully grabbed the young blond by the upper arm, yanking said blond towards him and sending a glare at the confused look-alike, as he held Joey possessively in his arms.

"What da...?" Joey said, blinking in confusion.

"...Mine."

The words had left Seto's mouth before the brunet could control what he was saying.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seth blinked in confusion as he stared at the spot Joey was standing just a mere five seconds ago. The priest furrowed his eyebrows and looked up, only to see someone that resembled him to perfection, only with pale skin and shorter hair. He held Joey possessively in his arms and gave him a cold glare.

"What da...?" Joey said, blinking in confusion.

Seth raised a brow at his look-alike, wondering why it was that he took Joey away from him, that is until those dreaded words left his look a like's lips.

"...Mine."

Seth growled, he knew what those words meant and he did not like the fact that someone else was trying to take Joey away from him. Seth reached out and tried to snatch Joey back but the look-alike was quicker and pulled Joey behind him, guarding him as he glared at the man before him.

"You! Just who do you think you are?!" The priest growled, glaring back with just as much venom as the other. The two had a staredown until Mahaad and the other's arrived. The young priest was too busy glaring at his look-alike to notice that Joey was hugging and greeting the Pharaoh and the other priests. The blond then placed a hand on Seth's arm, causing said man to turn to him.

"Joey?" He asked, wondering what the boy could need. Joey just smiled softly at him, before standing in between the two and pointing a thumb towards the look alike.

"Seth." He began, making sure he had the priest's attention and making sure he poked the look-alike hard in the chest before growling out in an irritated tone. "Seto."

The others watched intensely, wondering what Seth would do, because judging by the look on the priest's face, it became obvious to everyone that Seth wanted to kill Seto by the look on his face.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The others waited, and soon the air grew thick with a tension that could be cut through with a knife. Joey watched in confusion and concern as the two brunets glared at each other with what seemed to be to the death.

"Seto what da hell do ya think yer doin'?" Joey asked, sweat dropping. Said brunet stopped his glaring and turned to the blond.

"What does it look like mutt? I'm plotting to kill this bastard." With that Seto went back to glaring at the priest before him. Joey raised a brow at him in confusion.

"Why, what did he ever do ta you?" He noticed Seto tense and slowly turned towards him.

"What do you think, mutt? Or is it..." He trailed off, lifting a hand and flicking Joey's forehead. "That your tiny dog-like brain can't process the reason why?" With that, he smirked, as Joey growled and rubbed his forehead.

"Joey!" Seth called out, glaring at Seto for hurting him. Joey just growled and tried to punch the CEO, only to have him dodge his punches.

"Ya bastard! How many times have I told ya I ain't a mutt!" The two were so busy fighting that they didn't notice the jealous look Seth gave Seto. Why is it that the moment this man comes along, Joey's attention leaves him and goes straight for him? Was he Joey's lover? What was Seto to Joey? Clearly they can't love each other since Seto is obviously saying something insulting to cause the blond to try and hurt him. Or was it...

Seth growled at the brilliant mastermind that is Seto, he was insulting the blond and getting him angry so that Joey could put his full attention on him, even if it was making the blond angry.

"Joey!" Seth called out again only louder, getting Joey to stop trying to hurt Seto and turned towards him, not noticing the frown on Seto's face. Just as Joey was about to go over to him, the look-alike grabbed his wrist.

"What is he to you?" Seto asked, irritated. This caused Joey to turn towards him confused.

"What? Wait, what does it matter to ya anyways? Now let me go Seth called me for somthin," Joey yanked his wrist away from Seto and turned to head for the other brunet until Seto flicked the back of his head.

"Is the mutt headed towards his new master? I don't think I'm willing to allow that." After saying that, it took Seto only a minute until he face-palmed himself for saying something like that out loud. Luckily this only confused Joey.

"Eh?" Joey mumbled, tilting his head to the side a little. Seto smirked and looked at the blond smugly.

"You heard me."

Joey frowned and turned around to face him. "Hey, what da hell was dat supposed ta mean Kaiba?"

Hooked.

Just the way Seto had wanted. His smirk only widens, he turned around and crossed his arms, with his back facing the blond as he held his head up high.

"Oh, nothing. But if you want to know you'll just have to find out for yourself." Joey growled and moved so that he was now in front of the CEO. He reached out and grabbed two fistfuls of Seto's black shirt, glaring at him.

"What da hell ya bastard! If ya have something ta say then say it ta my face jerk!"

Now that Joey took a good look at him, he noticed the brunet was still wearing his clothes, only he had ripped off the sleeves of his black sweater and was still wearing his white trench coat. Of course, only Seto Effing Kaiba would keep his trademark cloak with him and take off his other clothes. Seto uncrossed his arms and raised his left arm, swiftly but gently pushing Joey a great distance.

"Listen mutt, use that brain of yours to figure it out. Also, stay at a safe distance, I doubt you got your shots and I don't really want rabies." He taunted, the smirk never leaving his face. Joey growled and tried to take the hand on his head off.

"Why I outta kick yer ass Kaiba!"

Before Joey could actually land a punch at him though, two rather strong, tan arms wrapped themselves around his waist and pulled him away. Joey blinked in confusion before turning his head to see Seth holding him close to his chest.

"Joey, Mine!" He growled, glaring daggers at Seto.

Said brunet frowned and tried to take Joey away, but Seth was quicker and did what Seto did, he placed Joey behind his back like he was guarding him. The two growled and went at each other, Seth strangling Seto and Seto doing the same. And since the two were a match in power and strength, the fight didn't really get anywhere. Joey and the others just stood by and watched as the two brunets growled and shouted insults at each other, each in their own language.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed Joey's shoulder, causing him to squeak in fright. Seto and Seth had heard him squeak and both turned to the blond to see if he was alright, only to find Maahad smiling brightly as if he had just won a prize.

"Joey." He began, giving Joey a drink in a small chalice. He gestured for the blond to drink, as he and the others watched anxiously.

Joey raised a brow in question, but decided to just shrug it off and drink it anyway; he was a bit thirsty from the walk back to the palace to question them anyways. Lifting the cup to his lips, the blond was just about to take a sip until suddenly, someone snatched the chalice from his hands.

"Don't be stupid, who knows what they could have put into this," Seto growled, glaring at Maahad. Joey turned to stare at the brunet in disbelief. Is that really how he thought of people? And where the hell does he get off taking away his drink like that?

Joey scoffed and glared at him.

"As if, Maahad would never try ta hurt me, let alone poison me for no apparent reason!" He scolded, trying to swipe his drink back. Seto just rolled his eyes and held the chalice further away from him, smirking as he watched the blond getting irritated with the fact that he was shorter than the CEO by a head.

"Damn it Kaiba!" Joey cursed, trying to reach for the drink. Seto was mentally pleased that Joey was rubbing his body on his own while trying to get the chalice, Seth better be watching.

"I outta just punch you in da shins instead of following you in yer annoying games!" Joey growled, moving away and looking about ready to just pounce on him. Seto just sighed in irritation, missing the warmth of the other's body on his own. With his arm stretched out all the way to the side; he turned his hand and poured all of the liquid from the small chalice onto the ground.

Seth watched with eyes as wide as saucers, before turning to growl and curse at his look-alike in his native tongue. "_You ignorant pig! That has taken us months to brew and prepare!_" He shouted. Joey flinched, he wasn't used to Seth yelling, and watching him get so angry kind of made him feel guilty. What if that was a special ritual-like drink that they served in Egypt or whatever? He had just disrespected the gods!

All Joey could do was gape like a fish out of water as Seth and Seto tried to strangle themselves again. Joey's eye twitched as he sighed in frustration and walked towards the two; he smacked Kaiba in the back of the head and pulled Seth away as gently as he could while still being a little assertive. Seto growled and turned towards the blond, glaring at him coldly.

"What the hell was that for mutt?!" He growled. Joey just scoffed and glared back.

"We need ta talk!" He yelled, grabbing Kaiba's arm and dragging him off to a pillar on the other end of the palace hall.

Seto just shrugged and went with it. As he passed by the priest; he gave the other a smirk as the priest glared daggers back at him. Once the two were out of ear-shot, Joey let go of Kaiba and growled at him.

"What da hell man? Why da hell did ya throw away my drink and why are ya bein' mean to Seth? He didn't do anythin' to ya!" He yelled, placing his hands on his narrow hips and glared, waiting for an answer out of the brunet. Seto narrowed his eyes and gave a low, dangerous growl.

"And why is it that you care so much for this priest? Don't tell me you have feelings for him... Do you?" He asked.

His heart pained when he saw the blush that plastered itself upon Joey's cheeks, as said blond looked away and coughed. As his blood began to boil with rage, Seto gave a low growl and turned to glare towards the direction of the priest.

"I'll kill him." He muttered under his breath. The gods must have been at his side, for Joey had no idea what he had just said.

"Shut up Kaiba, now what do you have against Seth? He did nothin' to ya, yet you insist on trying to irritate him till he explodes!"

Seto turned his back towards the blond and glared at him, is he really that clueless? Has he never wondered why Seto picked on him the most out of everyone in the geek squad? Obviously not, because apparently Seth was much more important. Gritting his teeth he stepped towards the blond and frowned deeply.

"Are you really _that_ oblivious? Surely you're not _that_ stupid to not notice a thing!"

Joey just raised a brow, looking completely confused. He didn't really get what Kaiba meant or where this was going. Witnessing the look on Joey's face, the CEO heaved a deep sigh in frustration and just turned his head; crossing his arms and glaring at the priest that was stomping his way towards them.

"Never mind Wheeler, now if you'll excuse me, I have some business with a certain un-dead priest to take care of."

And with that the brunet left, getting ready to stomp his foot right into his look alike's face and tell him over and over again who Joey really belongs to. Joey just blinked, confused at what Seto probably had meant, but soon he snapped out of it as he spotted where said brunet was headed.

"Son of a- god damn it Kaiba!" He growled, running after the CEO so that he could stop the fight that was currently taking place at the entrance of the palace.

Maahad blinked as well as the others, still trying to comprehend what was happening. One minute they had all greeted Joey, who had finally returned after leaving in such a hurry and the next there is this Seth look-alike named Seto who was spilling the potion that took them months to prepare.

"Maahad!" Atemu called, walking towards said man.

"Yes my Pharaoh?" He replied, turning his body to face the shorter male. Atemu frowned and turned to the direction of Seto, who was now growling and glaring at Seth as the priest did the same, while Joey stood in the middle, a hand on each of their chests to stop them from going at each other's throats. As though understanding the silent question the pharaoh was asking him, Maahad sighed and turned to watch the two brunets. "I have no clue what is going on my Pharaoh, but perhaps this is the _Seto_ who may possibly be Joey's lover."

Atemu's head snapped up to stare at Maahad, giving him a challenging look.

"You may be wrong, the two do not seem to like each other well enough to be considered lovers." He said, turning to study the three that were off in their own little world. Maahad smirked and gave the Pharaoh a knowing look. He would get his way with the Pharaoh for once if he was right; all he needed to do was see if this "Seto" was truly Joey's lover.

"I know that smirk Maahad." Atemu's voice rang with authority, bringing Maahad back from his thoughts. "I highly doubt that he is Joey's lover, and I shall prove it." He announced with confidence. Maahad smiled, the Pharaoh always gave his all when it came to something.

"Alright." The tall priest mumbled, before heading to pick the now discarded chalice off of the ground. "May the best man win my Pharaoh."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Man! Why do I have ta be stuck with you?" Joey whined, groaning and burying his head in his hands. "You're just ganna yell at me and be annoyin', Seth would have been nice ta me and stuff." He mumbled, Seth and the other priests were called to have a meeting in the throne room with the Pharaoh, they had to make plans for an execution that had to be done.

Seto was walking alongside Joey, as the two walked aimlessly around the palace.

"Please, I'm pretty sure I am _way_ more entertaining than that old priest." He grumbled, scoffing.

Seriously what did that rag wearing drag queen have that he didn't?

"Watch it Kaiba, don't go around bein' rude ta people if ya don't even know them," Joey warned, before heaving a sigh and turning to walk a little faster. Seriously Seto had been acting weird since he had been brought to the palace, he was becoming strangely clingy towards Joey and seemed like he didn't want him near Seth at all.

"Where are we going anyways mutt?" Seto asked, raising a brow as he looked around. It wasn't that he didn't like living in luxury, it was more like he didn't want to be in the same place where that damned priest could be, and he didn't want to share what was rightfully his with anyone else. He didn't care if Seth looked just like him, he wasn't going to be sharing his puppy with anyone, and Seth can get his own!

"Well, I was goin' ta the drawing-room or whatever that Seth usually brings me to. He gets me paper and something ta draw with and he just sits there while I draw. It's nice ta have him with me." After saying that, Joey gave a soft smile, remembering when he would sit and doodle away while Seth sat beside him or sometimes hold Joey on his lap, watching the blond doodle to his heart's content.

Just being near him was enough for the priest.

Seto turned to glance at Joey and growled lowly at the soft smile the other had on him while daydreaming of the priest. Why couldn't the blond smile like that for him? What was so special about that priest anyways?

"That god damned priest," Seto mumbled, catching Joey's attention.

"What was dat? Seriously Kaiba what's wrong with ya? You've been acting all weird and non Kaiba-ish... Yer more of an asshole den usual." He asked, raising an eyebrow. He was really getting irritated with the fact that Kaiba was acting so strange and not like his usual self, I mean sure he still calls him a mutt but it just didn't have the same coldness as it did before they went back 500 years into the past of ancient Egypt.

The taller of the two just growled in response. "You heard me, it's always about that god damned priest. He's freeloading off the pharaoh and you know it, how pathetic can one be? And I know pathetic, I work with idiots every day." He complained, crossing his arms around his chest. Joey could feel his eye twitch at the way he spoke, the bastard! Who does he think he is! Oh right, he's Seto Effing Kaiba.

"Shut up Kaiba."

But the other didn't listen, and he continued to complain about the priest.

"Seriously, I could probably beat him and get the throne of the pharaoh in no time flat. The priest is just a lazy bastard; his job is so simple a mere villager could do it. What does he do just sit around there all day looking pretty with his little eye makeup?"

Joey growled and clenched his fist so tightly that his nails dug into the palms of his hands, bruising them and causing them to bleed a bit.

"Shut UP Kaiba." He warned again through gritted teeth. But the CEO just continued.

"Honestly Wheeler, I don't even know why you like that pansy. Yes, I believe that word describes him best; he's a pansy, a worthless pathetic pansy that works for the Pharaoh. A PMSing little whiny bitch, freeloading off his own relative, walking around dressing in drag and wearing eye make-up. And all the while believing in some hocus-pocus make-believe _magic_, that does not even exist."

Joey snapped and raised his hand, suddenly, the only sound in the air that could be heard echoing throughout the palace walls were the sounds of skin meeting skin, as Joey bitch slapped Seto with all he had.

Seto's head had snapped to the side on impact, his eyes wide in shock and confusion as a handprint was soon there to be seen. No one had EVER slapped Seto Kaiba before. Well, I guess there's a first for everything.

Seto turned his face, blue eyes meeting watery, sad and hurt honey-amber ones, as he slowly raised a hand to touch his now throbbing cheek. Joey had small tears threatening to leak from the corner of his eyes, his hand now stung from the impact of it meeting Seto's surprisingly smooth cheek.

"I said SHUT UP KAIBA!" He screeched, his angry and hurt tears now leaking, sliding down his cheeks like waterfalls.

His eyes now stung, and it was all Kaiba's fault, why did he have to be such a damn jerk all the time.

"Joey..." Kaiba said softly, staring at the blond in hurt, he lifted a hand and reached out for him, only to have it smacked away.

The two stared at each other intensely; blue eyes in hurt and confusion, and honey-amber ones in hurt and rage. Before either of them could say anything, Joey turned on his heels and ran off, not wanting to stare at him anymore. He ran and ran, ignoring the CEO who was calling for him in the background. He just wanted to get away, he just wanted to run, and not see that jerk's face ever again. As he thought this, he ran to the one place he knows well, he ran to where he would always head to when he was alone and Seth was busy, where he would be with Clefia and think back to when he spends time with his sister. He went to his special place that the others all knew where to find him...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was such a jackass. No, he was more than a jackass, he was a pathetic fool, the one cold-hearted bastard that nobody wanted around unless they're Mokuba.

Seto sighed, he had been looking for Joey all over the damn place, he had gotten himself lost in the large place and had somehow ended up on the roof of the palace. The CEO growled as he continued to look around, panting as he went into every room he could, bumping into servants and even heading into the bathing chambers where the concubines were.

Why did the Pharaoh have extra wives if he did not want any children or even spoke with them occasionally? But that's not important, what IS important at the moment is finding out where his pup could possibly be and checking to see if he was safe or alright.

'_He better not be with that damned priest or so help me god._' Seto thought bitterly as he ran, it had gotten dark; the stars in the cloudless sky began to shine as the air became more chilled. Seto hoped that Joey did not go out into the market place, who knew what would have happened to him. And if anyone did anything to him he would make their lives miserable.

He had lost the blond once, and he was not about to let it happen again.

Seto passed by Mana, who squealed at the sight of him but sent him a confused look when he just passed her by fast. Seto would have rolled his eyes and continued running, but he really wanted to find Joey, so he stopped and turned towards the girl, staring intensely at her.

"You there! Where is Wheeler?" He asked in his usual tone of voice.

She just stood there, staring back at him in slight confusion, as if trying to comprehend what the other had said. Mentally face-palming himself, Seto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Joey. Where is Joey Wheeler? _Joey_." He began, trying to dumb down what he was saying. She stared at him with a smile.

"Joey?" She asked. This time, Seto actually face palmed himself, god some women could be so stupid at times. Seto simply sighed and nodded.

"Yes, Joey. _Where_."

This time Seto was pleased that Mana had actually understood him, she made a soft 'Oh' sound, before frowning sadly and shrugging her shoulders, shaking her head. Seto sighed in frustration and just turned, leaving the girl behind to go search for Joey, hoping to find him.

Alone.

Without that bastard Seth.

Seto ran again, looking into each room, he suddenly pushed the large doors in front of him, not knowing what exactly they were leading him to. He huffed and looked up, only to be met with the eyes of the Pharaoh who sat at his throne and the priests surrounding him. He glared at Seth, who gave him a confused and irritated look.

"Asshole." He growled out, before turning at his heels and running down the halls.

As he ran, he went into an open area that looked much like a garden. The cool breeze was welcoming to him; he was sweating due to all the running, looking for his little puppy. As he sighed, the exhausted male began to walk around said garden, his boots feeling the grassy area underneath. The garden was comforting and calming, something he was in desperate need of at the moment. Heaving yet another sigh in sadness and loneliness, the CEO continued walking about, feeling bad for the first time in a long time. He had never intended for Joey to cry, he didn't even expect the blond to take him seriously, and now look what he had done, he had made the one person he has ever had a romantic interest for cry and possibly hate him for life.

He knew Joey didn't like him but as Mokuba once told him, it wasn't that Joey hated him; it was just that Kaiba annoyed him to no end for being such a cold-hearted jerk.

Seto kept on walking; his train of thought taking over with each step he took. Suddenly, the sound of soft whining caught his attention. He slowly made his way towards the source of the sound, wondering why it sounded like a little lost puppy until he reached some bushes. Slowly, Seto moved the bushes gently to the side, making a small passageway for him to move through. And as he did, he saw it.

There, sleeping soundly and curled up into a soft little ball like a puppy, was Joey. He was shivering and hugging himself tightly, whimpering in loneliness as he slept.

Seto sighed once more in frustration, but deep down he was happy that he had found his pup. The brunet moved over the bushes to sit down next to the pup, smiling softly as he gently reached out to caress the blond's soft, porcelain-like cheeks. Joey was sleeping near a pound with little lotus' just floating along peacefully on the surface. The night sky and stars made them shine and brought a calming atmosphere. Now he could see as to why Joey would come there, out of every other place in the whole palace.

"Because this is the closest thing to home..." Seto whispered, smiling as he looked up at the stars. "You know Joey, I just wanted to say..." He began, trailing off. He didn't know how to say it, he has never said it to anyone before, not even Mokuba, but he knew it needed to be said. Even if the blond, whom he wanted to hear it, was dead asleep on the grass next to him. Seto could practically feel the other shivering next to him, so he sighed and took off his jacket, placing it over Joey's sleeping form so that he was no longer freezing.

"I wanted to say... That..." Trailing off again, he groaned to himself, this was a little harder then he thought.

"I wanted to apologize... Joey, I'm... Sorry. I did not plan to make you cry I was just..." Swallowing his pride, the CEO took a deep breath before continuing. "Well I'm not sure if you've noticed but I'm pretty frustrated right now. It's been exactly 5 months, 15 hours, 30 minutes and approximately 26 seconds since we've first gotten here and... Well... I miss Mokuba..." He said softly, and it was all true. Seto had been counting down the days for when he could see his brother. He wanted to know if the younger Kaiba was alright.

"I'm sure you understand, you have that sister of yours, you're probably worried sick wondering if Dice Freak and Shark head are treating her right and not doing anything stupid." And he was right, he knew he was.

Everyone knows that Joey did not approve of those two going after his little sister, who would? Would they treat her right? Would they make her cry? No one knows.

"I wonder if Moki's eating. I hope he's getting enough rest; I don't want him staying up late playing games or fooling around and eating junk food all day. I wonder if he's still studying or if he's getting his daily exercise. God so many questions, and not knowing the answers to any of them is killing me, Joey, I just don't know what to do..."

Seto frowned deeply and ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to see his brother or to have some form of sign that he was ok, he really just wanted to know.

"Did you know Joey that I've never feared anything in my life? I have never had anything to fear before, but just the mere thought of Moki hurt or placed in harm's way kills me. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach and I freeze." The words seemed to flow out of Seto's mouth easily, and he decided to continue. Joey was never one to judge, and even if he was he was dead asleep so he would never remember this conversation.

"I just pray to the gods hoping that that will never happen... I just hope those bastards at Kaiba Corp don't try anything to him or so help me god when I get back there, heads will roll! I'll shove my foot so far up their ass they'll need to go through 5 surgeries just to remove my boot!" Seto growled softly, he soon found his hand roaming through something soft and fluffy. Turning his head a few degrees to the side, he saw that he had been unconsciously running his fingers through Joey's blond locks. This made him smile, he has always wondered if that mop of hair was as soft to the touch as it looked.

"You know, I don't really mean to be cold-hearted... I just..." He took in another deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm down the nerves he had no idea he has. He used his free hand to rub his temples and inhaled a deep breath. "I know I'm a jerk... I wish I could apologize and just change who I am but I can't. Because of Gozaburo, I'm just naturally like this. I thank god that I was able to prevent Mokuba from going through what I went through. I know people hate me for the way I am, for how cold I am towards them. The things they all call me, all those nicknames, they don't know that it actually _does_ get to me, I just try hard not to allow them to hurt me.

Joey twitched in his sleep but stayed still.

"I don't tell Mokuba this because... I don't want him to feel pressured. But as I was told by Gozaburo when he first adopted us, '_Emotions and insecurities are for the weak__._"

Seto looked into the water, staring at his reflection and allowing the words to sink in. It was true, he had always felt like emotions were only for those who were weak.

He has seen countless times where his employees or other CEOs have fallen due to their emotions. Their spouse cheated on them, their family members are ill, they lost a friend, or someone close betrayed them. All those useless emotions.

Depression, sadness, grief, and betrayal.

All of those were useless, and there was no point in letting someone get close to you. In the business world, one must be a stone. One can never let their emotions get the better of them, or else they will lose it all. These are the words that he has lived by his whole life, but then suddenly, here comes Joey Wheeler.

Seto turned to stare at the blond, and gave him a small smile. He felt strangely happy at the thought of having the blond near him, an emotion he has only ever held when with Mokuba or when he finally crushed a rival company.

"I just... I wish I could be someone else for once, and not be the Seto Kaiba everyone hates or is jealous of. I want to be someone, whom you can call by his first name." He whispered, unconsciously falling down to lie next to Joey. With his hand still on Joey's head, Seto moved closer to the blond, letting his fingers run through his hair. Suddenly, Joey began to stir a bit, moving closer to Seto and snuggling into his chest, he sighed in bliss and had a small smile on his face. Seto smirked and wrapped his free hand around the other's waist, bringing them closer to each other. He buried his face into Joey's mop of hair and breathed in, he smelled just like fresh sand and apples.

"Goodnight... My puppy." Seto whispered, before slowly, drifting off to sleep.

A few minutes after Seto had drifted off to his dreamless sleep; Joey lifted his head and smiled. He had woken up when he first heard Seto speak but pretended to sleep to see what the brunet had wanted. And he was glad he heard it all, for Seto had apologized, which was something he had never done before.

Joey snuggled closer, blushing a bit when the arm around his waist tightened and held him possessively in place.

"Night Seto..." He whispered, leaning up just enough to plant a soft kiss on the brunet's jaw. He chuckled a little when Seto smiled softly; maybe the CEO wasn't so bad...


	6. Fighting For His Affection

Ever since Seth had found Joey sleeping comfortably in Seto's arms, he had refused to let the other win the affections of the blond. Never, not while he had a chance to deal with it. He wants the teen all to himself, so he will fight the strange look-alike for the other's love, even if it meant his position as the Pharaoh's high priest and barer of the Millennium rod was in jeopardy.

Currently, Seth was outside Joey's chambers, waiting for the teen to wake up so that the two of them could get some breakfast together, without Seto being there.

As he waited, Seth thought about ways of getting Joey to like him more than Seto. The blond's attention always seemed to be on the other, and no matter how hard the priest tried, it seemed as if Seto was always one step ahead of him. The look-alike was too smart for his own good, and he didn't like it, it was true that he had only met the other just the day before but he feels as if he has known him all his life.

{_What the hell are __YOU__ doing here?_!}

A voice shouted, causing Seth to raise his brow and turn his head a few degrees, only to find the one man he did not want to see at all today. Seto was standing a few feet away from him, just near the other door of Joey's chambers. He was wearing robes similar to Joey, only he did not wear a golden slash like the blond, he wore a blue one that was a shade darker than his eyes. His torso was bare, showing off his pale but well-shaped chest and abs, but he still wore his strange white cloak.

"You!" Seth growled, not liking the fact that the other did look good. Well, he WAS a mirrored image of Seth himself. 'W_hat the hell is HE doing here? Is he trying to take Joey away from me? Who does he think he is?'_ Seth thought viciously; as the two glared at each other, before standing on either side of the doors, wondering which one Joey was going to come out from. Every once in awhile the two would sneak a quick peek at the other, and glare from the corner of their eyes until the door finally opened.

The two watched as a sleepy Joey lazily walked out, with his hair all ruffled and messy as he rubbed his eyes like a small child with the ball of his hand. He yawned and walked out a little further, closing his chamber door behind him.

Turning his head, Joey's honey-amber eyes met Seth's bright blue ones, as he smiled sweetly at him, and chuckled at the shorter male's usual morning state. Joey smiled back lazily and greeted him.

"Good mornin'." He mumbled, before moving to rest his head on Seth's shoulder. The priest smiled and gave Seto a knowing look, loving the fact that Joey had gone to him instead of his counterpart. The brunet smiled and kissed Joey's head softly, before gently reaching out to hold Joey's hand in his, leading him towards the dining hall so they can have breakfast. But before he could leave and lead Joey away, Seto grabbed Joey's free hand and held onto it, sending his look-alike a dirty look.

If he wanted a fight, then a fight he will get.

The three all walked down the corridors, heading towards two tall, golden doors. Seth opened the door, revealing the dining room with the priests and the Pharaoh in it, as servants walked in and out placing plates of food onto the long table. Seth pulled gently on Joey's arm, leading him towards his usual spot. Once Joey sat down, Seth sat on his left with a smile, until Seto plopped himself at Joey's right side.

The two glared at each other, each trying to get Joey to sit closer to them and not bothering to eat themselves. The young blond just let them do what they wanted as he just stuffed his face with food, not minding at all that he was being swayed back and forth as the two used his waist like a rope for tug of war. He couldn't help but mewl with bliss as he finished his mango.

It tasted sweeter than the ones he usually ate back home.

Seth and Seto both tensed at the cute little sound that had come from Joey, and soon enough their attention shifted towards the blond. The two smirked, enjoying the soft moans of bliss that Joey made as he continued to eat.

Chuckling, Seto turned to make sure he was facing the boy properly.

"Silly puppy... Here." He said, picking up an apple and holding it out, trying to feed him. At first, Joey raised a brow at him, but hey food was food, so he leaned in and took a bite, enjoying the sweet taste of it as some of the apple juice dripped down his chin. Seto smiled and wiped it off with his thumb; he then brought his thumb up to his own lips and licked the juice off, his eyes never leaving Joey's. Seto smiled in victory when a blush formed across the blond's face, take that Seth.

Seth scoffed, he was doing it again! He was taking away Joey's attention and even worse, he was making Joey blush!

Seth frowned but soon thought up of a great plan.

"Joey." He began, getting said boy's attention. When his head turned, Seth leaned in and seductively ran his tongue along Joey's chin, giving him a soft peck at the corner of his mouth before moving back. Seth licked his lips seductively, enjoy the fact that Joey's already red face was now 3 times more crimson than it was before.

Seto growled lowly.

"Jackass." He muttered. Seth then smiled at Joey and reached out for a mango, cutting it into a sizable slice and getting closer to Joey.

"Ahh," Seth said softly, leaning in to give it to him, but just as Joey was about to take a bite, Seto moved in the way and ate the piece of Mango, glaring at Seth.

Seth blinked, before growling. The priest then reached out and grabbed his drink, splattering the wine all over Seto as everyone around the table watched the two intensely. Seto sighed, grateful that the only thing that got wet was his hair and not Joey or his trench coat. The tall CEO then stood, taking off his trench coat and throwing it off to the side, before picking up a mango. He reached forward and grabbed onto Seth's shirt, and in one swift move, he shoved the whole fruit into Seth's face, squishing it and making sure to rub it in. The pale brunet laughed sadistically as he heard Seth cough, trying to get the other to move his hands away. Everyone gasped and watched as the whole thing unraveled before their eyes, they were all stuck on the battlefield.

Once Seto had finally moved away and let the priest go, he smiled in victory at what he had just done. Seth coughed and spat out the mango bits that were shoved into his mouth. Seto gazed at him, his eyes daring the other to try something. Seth's hands reached up to his face and he scraped off some of the mango's remains, before opening his eyes and glaring at the other.

Oh, now, it's personal.

Before anyone could blink, Seth and Seto had begun a food fight. Seth had reached out and grabbed as many types of fruits while Seto reached out and grabbed most of the drinks. The two soon began to throw things at each other, plates, utensils, food and drinks.

Seth had even thrown an apple at Seto, causing it to bounce off his head and making the priest laugh. That is until Seto grabbed a bunch of grapes and smashed them all on Seth's head. The two kept fighting, and right when the fight had reached its climax, they were hit in the back of the head by bread. When they looked up, they saw an angry looking Joey, with one hand on his hip and the other holding the dreaded bread of power.

Or not.

Isis soon stepped up and grabbed Seth by the ear; she pulled up the priest, ignoring his protests and began to scold him. Seto started laughing at the other's misfortune, that is until Joey grabbed him by his ear and did the same.

"Seth! How could you! You are the high priest of Pharaoh Atemu! This kind of behavior is unacceptable!" Isis screeched, as Seth tried to pry her hands off his ear. Seto tried to do the same with Joey but to no avail.

"Kaiba! I can't believe ya! Yer the god damned CEO of Kaiba Corp! What da hell man? Behaving like a bunch of kids in grade school is _my_ job!"

The two brunets got an earful; they have been lectured for a while, until suddenly, the sound of laughter filled the air, causing everyone's attention to turn to the Pharaoh. He was holding his sides, and laughing out pretty loud, he had found the whole ordeal amusing, and could not help but to burst out laughing. The others just raised a brow at his odd behavior, the Pharaoh never acted like this, he was usually so mature and responsible like an adult, seeing him acting like a teen his age was a little odd.

Once the Pharaoh calmed down a bit, he inhaled a deep breath and wiped away a tear out of the corner of his eye.

"My Pharaoh," Maahad asked, as he approached the teen. "Are you alright?" He asked in concern, placing a rather large hand on the smaller teen's broad shoulder. Atemu just smiled and nodded.

"I am fine Maahad, do not worry about me, I just do enjoy a good laugh. I mean have you seen Seth and his look-alike? They look like a fruit bowl on two legs!" He jested, bursting out into another fit of laughter, this time having Mana join in. Maahad rolled his eyes and coughed, trying to suppress a laugh. It was true; Seth and Seto were covered in juices, wine, and fruit. Seto had grapes hanging out of his hair and some mangos squashed to the side of his head while Seth had some pineapple pieces hanging from his ears and apple bits just smothered into the top of his head. What made it funnier was that Seto's face was slightly purple due to the wine and Seth's was yellowish due to all the mangos thrown at his face.

Maahad couldn't help but burst out laughing; he held his side and turned his head away because he just could not stand to see them at the moment. Isis sighed and gestured for Joey and the two brunets to wash up and leave the cleaning to the servants. Seth nodded and headed off, not bothering to look at Joey, he was too embarrassed by the way he acted to face the blond. Seto then turned to leave, grumbling on how everyone else was an idiot, he grabbed Joey's wrist, ignoring the blond's protest about food and left the room.

Well, so much for breakfast.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seth sighed; breakfast did not go as he had first planned it to. He was currently walking towards the bathhouse to wash up until someone called out to him. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he smiled as he saw Joey running up to him. He turned around completely, facing Joey and completely ignored Seto, who was walking right behind the blond. Joey gestured to himself, trying to see if he could ask Seth to take them to the bathhouse. Understanding immediately, Seth smiled brightly and reached out to grab Joey's hand gently, leading him to his desired destination. As they walked, Seto kept poking Joey and flicking his head, just to make sure the blond's attention was on him.

The priest frowned; he didn't like it when Joey's attention was not on him. Suddenly, Seth got a good idea, he raised his free hand and patted Joey's head softly, smiling victoriously when Joey turned to him and smiled brightly. This caused Seto to frown; he then moved and reached out to grab Joey's other hand, in hopes of getting the other's attention. As planned, Joey turned his attention to the CEO and raised a brow in confusion, only to receive a smug look in return.

Seth and Seto glared at each other the whole walk to the bathhouse; both making sure the other didn't do anything stupid. Once they got there, Seth called for a servant to draw a bath for the three of them. He knew Joey would want a separate bath but he couldn't risk having the blond out of his sights.

Once the bath was drawn, Seth began to peel off his sticky and dirty tunic. Little did he know, was that he had Joey's full attention. Joey watched as Seth slowly removed his dark blue tunic top off, he stared at it for a bit before throwing it to the ground. Seth then reached his arms up and began to stretch his muscles. Joey couldn't help but let his eyes drift down the tan man's body, he blushed as he saw the sticky juices of the fruits and wine trickling down his nicely toned, tanned chest, a light six-pack could be seen. He couldn't stop himself from drooling as he saw Seth stretch out his strong biceps. The priest ran a hand through his hair and sighed, he looked so sexy that Joey couldn't take his eyes away.

"You know." An irritated voice whispered in his ear, causing him to squeak in surprise. Joey turned to stare into the jealous and annoyed blue eyes of a certain CEO. "I look just like him, so why are your eyes only on him?" He asked.

Joey blushed a shade darker, and when he turned his head, he saw that Seth was watching the two of them.

"S-Shut up Kaiba!" He muttered, glaring at the ground in shame. Seth smirked, knowing that Joey was watching him strip.

The three soon rid themselves of their clothes and entered the warm bath; Seto and Seth watched Joey with hungry eyes as the blond, who was unaware of their gaze, began to slowly sink into the water. They scanned Joey's body, mentally kicking themselves so that they could control their hormones. Joey moaned in bliss, making it harder for the other two to not become crocodiles and just pounce on him, as the young teen smiled and began to wash his skin, making the other two jealous of the water.

How the hell could one get jealous of water? They didn’t know, but they knew they definitely were.

Suddenly, the servants walked in, each holding a small vase containing scented oils, each vase has a sweet and strong aroma of flowers and spices. Then, each of the three servants kneeled behind the three and began to pour the soft oils onto their master's heads.

"Eek!" Joey squeaked, feeling the cool liquid on his warm head. He gently smiled at the servant girl, thanking her, before turning back and enjoy it, he could get used to living in luxury.

'_Damn rich people._' Joey thought, sighing happily as the servant began to massage his scalp gently. '_Why do THEY always get the good stuff?_'

The other two watched in envy, wishing they could run their hands through Joey's hair. They knew it was cruel but they couldn't help glaring at the girl. After a few more minutes of glaring at the now nervous female, both brunets smirked, as a plan began to form in their head, just wait until their bath was over.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seth was able to get permission from the Pharaoh to take the day off so that he may spend some time with Joey. He was going to take the blond out to the marketplace and buy him anything he wanted. The only downside to it was that Seto was coming along. Seto was also planning on buying Joey's affection through expensive jewelry, so he had made sure to get some money. It was a bit tricky but he was somehow able to get Mana to ask the Pharaoh for some. He smirked as he patted the medium size pouch of coins that hung snugly by the slash of his tunic.

As the three walked, Seto glared at Seth, who was smiling brightly at Joey and holding his hand. Seto would have reached out to grab his other hand but every time he tried, Seth would see and pull Joey to a stand, looking at the different kinds of trinkets that they sold there. Seto sighed in frustration and glared daggers at the back of Seth's head.

'_That bastard, it is SO on!'_

As the three walked on by, Joey noticed everyone's eyes on them, he raised a brow and turned around to see where they were looking at. He saw that everyone was staring at Seth and Seto.

Apparently, the two were on different sides, Seto on the right and Seth on the left. They were each at a stall, looking around for the right type of jewelry. What was weird is that they were both dressed the same, only Seth had his tunic top and hat on while Seto had his trench coat with him. The two reached out at the same time to pick up a bracelet, inspecting it for any bumps or a bruise, making sure it was perfect. And the creepy part was that they were a mirrored image of each other without even realizing it. Joey blinked, before shaking his head and sighing, these two were such a handful, first the food fight at breakfast and now they were attracting attention to themselves.

These two will be the end of him.

"Joey."

Said blond looked up and saw both brunets smiling at him, well, Seth was smiling sweetly at him while Seto smirked. They both had their hands out to him, each handing him a bracelet with blue sapphires around them. Seth's bracelet was gold and had the eye of Horus on it, with some weird inscriptions around them while Seto's was silver, and it was in the shape of a serpent with the blue sapphires as eyes. Joey smiled and took them both.

"Thanks guys, you're both alright." He thanked softly.

He stared at the gold bracelets in awe; he had never received something that beautiful or expensive before. He has only ever gotten mild gifts, like cards or plushies and sometimes even clothes from his sister. It wasn't that he didn't like the gifts he’d received in the past; it was just that it made him so happy to know that someone had gotten him something nice, expensive even.

Joey slipped on Seth's bracelet on his left wrist and Seto's on his right.

"Wheeler." Seto began; when he looked up, Seto rolled his eyes at him, his smirk never leaving his face. "It doesn't go like that, pup." He said softly, walking closer to him and holding Joey's wrist in his right hand gently. He used his free hand, to slowly slide the snake bracelet up to Joey's upper arm. He smiled when the blond blushed, due to his hands caressing his skin gently.

"It looks good on you, pup." Seto complemented, staring deeply into Joey's honey-amber eyes.

"Y-yea... I guess your right Kaiba. Thanks, man."

Before Seto could say your welcome, Seth grabbed Joey's hand gently and placed a soft kiss to the back of it.

"Pretty." Seth complemented, staring into Joey's eyes. He couldn't help but blush at Seth's words; he said it in such a seductive tone that he couldn't stop the blood from rushing to his cheeks. Joey thanked him and blushed, even more, when Seth planted another soft kiss to his hand. Seto frowned and leaned in to kiss Joey's forehead. The two brunets glared at each other as if to say 'he's mine bitch, back off.'

Joey saw this and sighed in irritation. This little competition had been happening since yesterday when Seto met Seth, seriously did all these two ever care about was winning? Rolling his eyes, Joey glared at them.

"Will you two just stop treating me like some sort of damn prize? I'm human too ya know!" He growled out, taking his hands away from both of them and looking just about ready to knock their teeth in. The two stared at him confused before they chuckled and leaned in, kissing Joey on each of his cheeks. The blond blushed and sighed once again, smacking them both upside the head.

"Listen, if yer ganna try ta get me ta like ya, then try harder then dat!" With that being said, he turned around and kept on walking, leaving the two to their fighting.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Some time had passed as the three continued to walk around the market place, it was quiet between the three of them, not that Joey minded much, he preferred this kind of quiet rather than an awkward tension. He was afraid that after admitting he liked both of them subconsciously, the air would be just so tense around them, but he guessed he was wrong.

Then again, the air around him was fine, it was when Seto and Seth stared at each other that it tensed and because the two of them had to try everything they could not to strangle each other. Once they were all done with their little shopping, they decided to take a small break and just hang out. Currently, Seth and Seto were glaring and trying to strangle each other while Joey was off playing ball with the local kids. Seth was tired of not being able to speak properly with Joey, he even hated the fact that Seto is able to speak to Joey about whatever it was that they spoke of and leave him out of it.

He wanted the old days back. The old days when it was just him and Joey and when Seto was not around. The priest mentally sighed as he and Seto stood standing as far as they could from each other, they were huffing and panting, trying to catch their breath before Seto growled and ran towards the priest, in one swift move, the CEO lifted a hand and tried to punch Seth in the face, only to have the other mirror his attack and do the same. With their enemy's fist still on their cheek in a bruising manner, Seto glared, wanting to just end this and take Joey with him, but he knew that the other would not go down without a fight. As this little event went on, Joey finished playing with the kids, they had just finished kicking what seemed to be a sort of ball stuffed lightly with sand to weigh it down and hay to make it lighter.

The ball was wrapped in a leather-like substance, and it was just perfect for kicking around. Joey had chuckled and picked up the ball with his hands, lifting it up off the ground and handing it to one of the boys. He smiled and waved to them as they all waved back before running off, heading with their waiting mothers to their little homes. This made Joey wish he was back in his own time, with his friends and burgers, lots and lots of burgers.

He made a mental note that once he got back he would go straight to Burger World and stuff his face full of his favorite food, not giving a damn if he gained some weight because, in all honesty, he didn't really care. Joey sighed and turned around, running to where he had last seen Seto and Seth. As he got closer to the two, he saw that they were doing this odd, mirrored kung fu fight. Sighing, Joey took off his sandals, he smirked as he aimed.

Thanking the Gods he was good at baseball, he threw the sandals and hit both Seto and Seth square in their pretty little faces, knocking them down. He couldn't help but laugh as the two flew to the ground, sandal and all, and laid there for a bit trying to comprehend what just happened. Once Joey was done his little giggle fest, he made his way towards the two and crossed his arms.

Both brunets looked up at him in confusion, before watching him sigh and shake his head in shame.

"Seriously, and you two are supposed ta be the mature ones?" He mumbled to himself, before just rolling his eyes and turn on his heel, he stretched his arms a bit before placing them at the back of his head, linking his fingers and cushioning the back of it with his palms. Joey just whistled and walked off towards the palace, not really caring anymore about the two, at the moment; he was craving a little snack.

It took a few seconds for them to notice where Joey was headed, once they were able to get their little brain to process, the two stood up, each picking up one of Joey’s sandals, and following behind him. As they ran to stand next to him and hold his hand, Seto and Seth began to shove each other a little, trying to get the other to move away. Joey didn't have to turn around to see what was going on, so he just rolled his eyes and let it happened.

Hey, Que sera, sera, right?

Whatever happens, happens.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Upon arriving at the palace, Joey was soon pulled into a quick tackle hug. It seemed as if Mana was the happiest to see him. Joey looked down at the small girl and smiled at her, returning her little embrace and patting her head. She was like a little sister to him, she was also someone other than Isis who he could rant about just anything and not feel guilty about what he says.

Don't ask.

As the two stood, Mana began babbling on and on about something that just didn't seem to make sense to him, at first he was confused, but then he became curious when he heard Seth make a loud "Ah!" sound.

You know that type of sound you only hear when something good happens or when someone tells you that the little package you've been waiting for has finally arrived. Joey couldn't help but smile as he saw the relief and happy look Seth had on his face.

Within seconds, he found himself being dragged away from the two brunets and taken into the direction of the dining hall. The others followed and soon, they entered the room. Once inside, Joey found all the priests and the Pharaoh sitting down and celebrating something. Confused, Joey turned to Mahad, who was now walking up to him holding a gold chalice in his hand, offering him a drink. Smiling, the blond just reached for it, he raised the chalice to cheer and brought it to his lips.

Just as he was about to take a small sip of the liquid inside, the cup was snatched away from. He turned his head and saw Seto, holding the small, golden chalice in his hand studying what it had inside.

"What are ya doin'?" Joey asked, wondering why he wasn't allowed to take a sip of his little drink. Seto's blue eyes wandered away from the chalice to him.

"I'm just making sure they didn't poison it." He mumbled, swirling it in his hand. Joey sighed in irritation and resisted the urge to bite him.

"Listen, I'm really thirsty. Now gimmie da damn cup and I promise you, I won't kick your ass... Much." He threatened, reaching out to try and take the chalice away from Seto.

The brunet refused and held it away, smirking.

"I don't think so puppy. As for you kicking my ass. I highly doubt that. Now if it's YOUR ass we're talking about here, then there IS a little something I wouldn't mind doing, and it doesn't involve kicking." He purred, staring at the other smugly. It took Joey about a good 30 minutes before that little innuendo Seto implied kicked in, blushing madly; Joey glared at him and punched Seto in the chest.

"Shut up Kaiba! Leave mah ass outta dis!" He growled, but it came out weaker than he thought.

"Of course pup, I could talk about other things though." The brunet teased, leaning down to be at eye level with the other. Being the slow boy that he is Joey tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"What da hell?" He asked, big mistake. Seto's smirk grew as he leaned closer, brushing his lips gently against the blonde's ear.

"I'll stop talking about your ass puppy, but you know, I could always talk about your narrow waist and sexy thighs and of course, your peni-" before the brunet could finish, Joey squeaked and pushed the other away, glaring at him. "What the hell is your problem?!" He shouted, only to have it come out weak.

Seto just chuckled, still holding Joey's drink at a safe distance. The blond's eyes drifted from the drink to Kaiba, then back to the drink. Sighing deeply, Joey looked to the side and muttered.

"I'm probably going to regret this aren't I..."

Bracing himself, Joey reached out and gripped Seto's shoulders, he then pulled the CEO in and soon, his lips smashed with the others. Time seemed to stop as everyone watched the two, lips locked. Seth watched in horror, watching as his blond love kissed another man. Unable to take it anymore, the priest turned and stormed his way out of the room, heading straight upstairs to his chambers.

Seto was in shock, his heart was racing and his palms were becoming sweaty. He was just melting into the kiss until Joey pulled away, his face was beet red and he was panting slightly, Seto would have leaned in and kissed him again, but the blond just turned away holding something in his hands.

As it turned out, while they were kissing, Joey had taken the chalice out of Seto's hand. Seto blinked for a bit, before huffing. "why you sneaky little-"

"It was my drink ya shouldn't have taken it! I lost my first kiss to ya, ya bastard! You should be ashamed! Ashamed I say, ashamed!" Joey blabbered, before chugging down the drink. Once the chalice was empty, Joey let it go, causing it to fall to the ground as his hands flew straight to his throat, holding it tightly as he coughed uncontrollably. Seto and the others quickly went to his side, trying to make sure he was all right, as he coughed, Joey could taste an irony taste at the back of his throat leaving. He inhaled and sighed-

"God that tasted like crap." He muttered. He heard someone chuckling, looking up, Joey saw Maahad smiling at him.

"I apologize if it was not the best of flavors, but I did not have much time this time to make it taste any better."

Joey blinked. Then he blinked one more time, then a few more times before gasping dramatically. "Wha- OH ME GAWD I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYIN' IT'S A MIRACLE!"

This caused the others to laugh at his outburst. Isis then walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, but I am sure you and your lover are tired, why don't the both of you head to your chambers and we shall explain all of this tomorrow when Ra rises up." She told him softly.

Joey nodded, but before he could leave he gave her a weird look.

"Wait, lover? Whose mah lover? And where's Seth?" He asked, looking around for said brunet. The others shrugged, and Atemu stood in front of him.

"Seth went to his chambers to rest for the night, is Seto not your lover?" Atemu asked, trying to get straight to the point of all this nonsense. Joey blushed, and then looked over at the confused and jealous brunet, before turning back to the Pharaoh and blushing madly.

"O-of course he's not my lover! I dislike the jerk! I only kissed him because it was da only way ta get my cup back! He's been mean ta me and my friends ever since we first met!" He screeched, turning to Isis and hiding his embarrassed face on her shoulder. She smiled, and gave the others a stern-looking as if telling them not to say another word.

"We understand completely Joey, now please rest up until tomorrow, I promise we shall explain to you everything." She said, smiling at him softly. Joey smiled back and nodded, before wishing everyone a good night and heading towards Seto.

"I'm goin' ta bed, so see ya!" He said, before leaving the room with a little spring in his step. Finally! He was finally able to understand everyone, and now this meant he could talk with them about helping him get back home. As he neared the doors to his chambers, he felt a warm breath on his neck.

"So then puppy, my room... Or yours?" It purred. Joey squeaked and swung his arm, trying to punch whoever it was, only to have his wrist get caught by none other than Seto Kaiba.

The brunet was smirking seductively, as he snaked his other arm around Joey's narrow waist. He pulled the blond close to him so that their chests were now touching, as he leaned forward and placed his lips on Joey's neck, giving him gentle kisses.

"You know pup, I had no idea you wanted to give me your first kiss." Joey blushed and tried to pull away, failing miserably.

"Sh-Shut up Kaiba! I-I wasn't planning on givin' you mah first kiss!" He squeaked, struggling to escape the CEO.

"Oh? But you risked wasting your first kiss on your so-called 'rival' for a drink?" He purred, gently licking Joey's neck.

The blond blushed and tried to suppress a moan that threatened to escape. "S-stop it ya jerk! And it wasn't a drink, it was a potion!"

"What's the point?" Seto asked, giving the blond little butterfly kisses. He smirked when he heard a little moan escape the shorter teen's lips.

"T-There's a difference! N-Now get off me!" He growled, struggling to get out of the older boy's grip. Seto sighed and let Joey go gently, he frowned at the loss of the other's warmth but he decided to just deal with him.

"I'll have you soon, _that_ I can promise... Now, I'm off to bed." He announced in a business-like tone, turning to walk away, but not before stealing a quick kiss from Joey's lips. As he walked away he looked over his shoulder and smirked. "My chamber door will be open if you feel the need to have some company tonight."

Joey blushed and huffed, that asshole, who knew he was that big of a douche bag! What happened to the Kaiba that secretly wanted someone else's affection other than his brother? The Kaiba he met when he was out in the palace garden? Joey sighed, he then raised a hand and touched his lips gently.

"His lips are soft..." He mumbled. Snapping out of it completely, Joey shook his head and growled. "Dat bastard! He's just tryin' ta get ta my head!" Joey grumbled, he shook his head again before punching and kicking a nearby wall. "I'll kill him! I'll kick his ass from here ta... Ta Rome! I'll kick his ass so hard he'd have ta shit sideways! Jerk! Bastard! Gah! Screw dis I'm goin' ta bed!" With that, he left, leaving a broken wall behind.

What Joey didn't know was that he was also leaving behind a blue-eyed priest, who had seen the whole ordeal with Seto out in the hall. He eyed the wall where the damage had been done and frowned sadly.

"Joey..."


	7. A Date With Seth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning to those that don't like sex scenes, there is sex. Joey has sex. So, if that makes you uncomfortable...
> 
> That kind of sucks because this adds on to the story... 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

The sun rose high in the sky as the people of Egypt all awoke to their new day. The sound of people beginning to open their small shops around the marketplace could be heard all the way to the palace, as the slaves and guards all got up quickly and prepared for the day for the Pharaoh, Priests, and Priestess. But not everyone was up and awake this morning, one priest just sighed and stayed in bed, moping around and wallowing in self-pity as he cursed the gods for allowing the sun to rise so early, for he had not had a wink of sleep the night before.

'_That kiss._' The brunet thought as he stared up into the golden ceiling of his room. '_Why did he give him a kiss? Was Seto really Joey's lover? Was he really into Seto? Or was the other just trying to take Joey away from me?_' So many questions flew into Seth's head, causing him to get a migraine. The priest sighed and raised a hand, running his fingers through his hair. It was morning, but the priest was still lying down on his bed, he just did not have the energy in him to get up.

He had sent the slaves away that had tried to wake him and had made sure that his door was locked so that he could mope in his self-pity in peace. Lying on his soft bed wearing nothing to cover his tan and lean body but the very silk, linen sheets that covered his waist, Seth thought about everything.

He did not feel like getting up today at all, after what had happened the night before involving his blond beloved and that bulbous pig Seto. Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking at his doors echoed around the room, proving to the brunet just how lonely he truly was. Sighing, Seth groaned and asked them to leave, he wanted to be alone at the moment to just be with his thoughts, and maybe he could pray and speak with the gods, asking them why it was that they were messing with his heart.

"If you are going to be in bed all day sulking, then I suggest you allow me to enter, cousin. I want to know what is going on in your mind." A familiar voice spoke through his doors. Seth sighed and used whatever was left of his energy to simply walk over to his door, unlocking it and waddling back to slump down face first on his sheets. Once the doors were unlocked, Atemu poked his head in and sighed, he had no idea that his poor cousin was this heartbroken; it was a miracle that Seth could even _be _heartbroken in his opinion.

The pharaoh walked in slowly and closed the doors behind him gently, looking around the room before making his way towards Seth's bed, where the brunet groaned in what seemed to be emotional pain, wearing nothing but the linen sheets that only seemed to cover his arse.

"Seth, what is wrong? You are not usually like this." The shorter male began. Seth let out a sigh and turned his head so that the pharaoh could hear him speak.

"Nothing, I just do not wish to be bothered today. Please my Pharaoh, my dear cousin, just leave me be." The priest then buried his face in his pillows and sighed once again. Atemu watched his cousin mope, it was odd, and all his life he had grown up with the brunet, who was cold, heartless and competitive. Seth had never in his lifetime shown anyone any emotion other than those of anger, irritation, displeasure, and sadism.

Seeing the older male in this state was just, awkward.

The Pharaoh ran a hand through his star-shaped hair, wondering what he should say as he walked around his cousin's bed, grabbing a nearby chair so that he may sit on it. As he took his seat, he almost missed the muffled sound of Seth's gruff and tired voice asking him for his reason being there.

Atemu cracked a small smile and chuckled.

"Well, as you know Seth, Joey has been asking around for you, he seems to miss your usual presence at his door once he wakes in the morning." The Pharaoh briefly explained. Seth could not help but scoff at his cousin's explanation. As if the blond would want to see him, it was obvious he wanted _Seto_, his _Lover_.

Not him.

"My Pharaoh, I believe you have the wrong male, Joey was probably looking for Seto. Not me, I mean it is clear that the blond does not hold any feelings for me in the slightest." Seth mumbled, glaring at his walls. He hated that brunet, who was _he_ to just waltz in here, and take away the small shard of happiness that Seth has ever had? Atemu heaved a sigh.

"Seth, he was honest and truly looking for you. Need I remind you that he drank the potion the other night before you left, and now he's probably running around the palace like he normally does when he is searching for you."

Seth pursed his lips into a thin line as he thought about what the Pharaoh had just told him, was the blond really that concerned with finding him? Was he really not looking for Seto?

"Please, tell me what you are saying is not a lie." He whispered, almost in distress, he needed to know.

Over the last few months he had grown to love the blond and his company, he wanted nothing more than to spend the remainder of his life with the blond and just know that he'll always hold a place in Joey's heart.

Atemu gasped dramatically and placed a hand over his mouth in mock shock.

"What is this? Did the almighty Seth just said '_Please_'? Oh by the gods is this world coming to an end?" He spoke sarcastically, chuckling when the brunet growled at him. Narrowing his eyes, Seth turned and sat upon his bed, giving the Pharaoh his most serious look.

"Cousin, just tell me if you speak the truth, is Joey _truly_ looking for me?"

Atemu looked into his cousin's bright, light blue eyes, they were a tad lighter than Seto's and had desperation written all over them. Atemu sighed once more and smiled softly.

"He is, he cares for you Seth, you just need to see how much he does and not let your jealousy of Seto get in the way of your love for him," Atemu said sincerely. He envied his cousin. If only _he himself _could find someone to love as the brunet had, someone as unique and as bright as Joey. If only Atemu could find someone that would love him with all their heart. '_Joey does not know how truly lucky he is to have the love of not only Seth but of Seto as well._'

Seth sighed in relief and laid back down on his bed, his mind was finally relaxing and he was finally able to think straight. At least he knew that Joey did care for him, even if it was only a small bit. Just as Atemu was about to say speak once more, a knock on the door got their attention. The two Egyptians both turned their heads in the direction of the entrance and watched as it slowly opened.

Suddenly, Joey popped his head in quickly.

"Seth?" He asked, blinking in confusion. The brunet could not help but smile, as he sat up and turned towards the blond.

"Joey!" He exclaimed, standing as he made his way towards the other. "Good morning Joey, I apologize that I was not there to greet you when you awoke this morning- Joey? What is wrong?" Seth asked in concern, watching the blond whose face was now a bright red, he had his eyes locked on something below him.

Seth tilted his head wondering what was wrong with the blond before he looked to where Joey was looking at. His cheek began to glow a small shade of pink as he quickly realized that he was now standing in front of his beloved naked as the day he was born.

"My apologies," Seth muttered, before turning to calmly grab his sheets and wrap them around his waist. He had forgotten that the blond was modest and could not see a man or woman naked without blushing brightly.

"I'm so sorry! I'll come back later I promise!" The blond squeaked, before running out the door, with Seth calling out his name in the background.

Seth sighed and ran a hand through his hair, hoping he didn't just blow his chance with the sweet blond. Hearing someone chuckling, the brunet turned to glare at the Pharaoh, who sat there in his chair holding his sides and trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Do you find something amusing, my Pharaoh?" Seth asked through gritted teeth, there was a time and place for certain things and now was not the time for someone to be laughing at him, be it Pharaoh or not.

Atemu tried to sustain himself, but upon seeing the brunet's face, he quickly burst out laughing, and soon enough the sound of the Pharaoh's laughter and Seth yelling profanities could be heard echoing down the halls of the palace.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The blond was blushing hard, he could not believe he had just seen Seth naked! I mean, he had already seen what the other looked like before but to have him up close like that with his body all exposed, it just made Joey want to run his hands down Seth's nicely toned chest, down to his hips and past his waist straight towards his-

"Mutt!"

Joey squeaked loudly and turned his head around, meeting icy blue eyes.

"The fact that you didn't get whiplash amazes me, pup." The CEO said with a smirk. Joey just huffed and looked at the ground.

"Shut up... Kaiba." He stuttered, finding his feet rather interesting. Seto just stood there and watched as the blond panted with his face all red and sweaty as he held his hands close to his chest as if trying to calm his racing heart. The brunet did not approve, he had heard the blond running around the palace halls earlier in the morning looking around for that damned priest, and now here he found him, looking aroused and leaning against the wall, with the priest's chambers just around the corner.

'_Oh, fuck._' Seto thought, as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. '_He didn't- they didn't- what did they- if he did!_' Seto growled loudly and narrowed his eyes at the ground. "If that bastard did what I think he did then his ass is mine!" The brunet roared.

Joey jumped and turned his head to watch as Seto's face turned red from anger, he was glaring and cursing under his breath, it was sort of scary.

"K-Kaiba?" Joey stuttered, blinking in confusion. Seto looked up and saw the fright and confusion in the blonde's eyes, which caused him to sigh and calm himself down before he harmed the one he wanted.

"I'm fine pup I just-" before the sentence could be finished, two tan arms snaked their way around Joey's neck, causing the blond to squeak in surprise.

"Hello, Joey." Seth greeted happily, cuddling the blond from behind as he buried his face into Joey's blond locks.

"Oh, mornin' Seth." Joey replied, blushing to a deep crimson, he was still trying to deal with his little 'problem' and having the cause of said problem close was not helping at all in the slightest.

Suddenly Seth kissed the back of Joey's neck affectionately, causing the blond to moan unconsciously. The mirrored look of shock and arousal on both Seth and Seto's faces would have been hilarious if the blond wasn't so embarrassed.

"I-I-I gotta go! S-See you two at breakfast!" He stuttered, getting out of Seth's grasp and running down the halls, heading back to his bedroom, or bedchambers as they called it, once inside he closed the door behind him and made sure no one was around.

Blushing, the blond looked away in shame, as shameful as his little 'self-loving' was, it had to be done before he could head anywhere...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey was walking down the halls all gloomy after breakfast Seto had left to take a small bath while Seth had gone to a trial with the Pharaoh and the other priests. He was still feeling a little ashamed of what he had done but damn it to hell it had to be done and he was a guy.

Guys have needs too you know!

"Yeah." He mumbled, looking up as he turned a corner to head towards the garden. "I am a guy and I have needs! So what if I may have not really ok maybe a small m... Master... Bated... But it was in my own room! A-a-and it's natural! I'm sure lots of guys do it! Hell, probably even Seth or Seto... Or maybe Atemu..." He muttered, letting his mind debate whether or not it's true that Atemu even has any manly needs.

"Maybe Atemu what?" A high pitched voice asked.

Squeaking, Joey turned around and was met with none other than Mana herself, she was giggling as she stared at the now red-faced blond.

"You are truly one amusing boy, Joey." She said through giggles. Joey sighed and tried to calm down; Mana was too young to know about men and their needs. He turned to her and smiled.

"It's nothing Mana, I'll tell you some other day, I promise." He mumbled. The two then started walking and heading towards the garden.

Once there they sat at their usual spot, near the water where the lilies would softly float around the surface. After a moment of comfortable silence passed the two by, the young girl looked up at the blond and smiled brightly.

"Joey?" She asked sweetly. At the sound of his name, Joey turned and smiled, giving the small girl his full attention, Mana turned her body so that it would be facing him. Her knees were folded neatly in front of her as her hands laid down on top of them. "What was your life like before you came here to Egypt?" She asked curiously.

Blinking, the blond chuckled softly before thinking back, it had been a while since he had been back home, and he did have a bad memory.

"Life was good; it was really fun for me. I had all my friends with me and I could always find the time ta just hang out with them. I would sometimes even go shoppin' with my sister when she came ta visit." He explained, remembering all the good times he had with everyone who loved and cared for him.

"You had a sister?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement as Joey nodded. "Her name's Serenity, she has red hair and light freckles with bright, almond-colored eyes and a cute, high pitched voice. She means everythin' ta me, she's my friend and my sister and I really miss her." He told her, his voice trailing off a bit in the end.

"Oh, that is so kind of you Joey! It is so sweet knowing you love her so! I have never had any siblings before, but I have always seen you as a brotherly type, I hope that does not offend you." She told him, smiling brightly at him.

Joey smiled back and ruffled her hair affectionately, she did always seem like a little sister to him.

"Of course not! Ya always seemed like a sis ta me!" Giggling, the young Egyptian girl hugged him tightly.

Joey chuckled and hugged back, holding her in a tight embrace. Parting, the two soon continued talking as Joey told Mana about his days in school and how he and his friends had pulled some pranks and just hung out around lunch.

Suddenly someone called out his name, turning to look over his shoulder, Joey spotted the Pharaoh making his way towards them. Mana and Joey soon stood, smiling and waving at the teen, wondering why he seemed to have a smug look on his face. Once the Pharaoh was closer to them, he cleared his throat and turned towards the blond with a smile.

"Joey, Seth is waiting for you at the entrance of the palace, and he has planned out something special for just the two of you."

Raising a brow, Joey couldn't help but think about it for a moment. What about Seto? What was he going to do? Should he really go? Upon seeing the look of distraught on Joey's face, the Pharaoh waved his hand in dismissal.

"Do not worry about Seto, he is fine with it and has found some interest in the scroll room." Of course, that may have been a little white lie, but what Joey did not know won't hurt him.

Joey sighed in relief and smiled.

"Alright." He said, sending the pharaoh a quick nod. "I'll go see Seth then, bye guys! See you two later!" With a quick wave, the young blond turned on his heels and ran off.

Once Joey was out of sight, Mana turned to the young king and waved her goodbyes to Atemu, turning on her own heels to go find Isis. Glancing around and making sure he was alone in the palace garden; Atemu let out an evil chuckle and rubbed his hands together, with a smug look plastered upon his face.

"I shall show you Maahad, Joey is not Seto's lover, and that he and Seth shall get together soon..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seth paced around the entrance of the palace, waiting for Joey to arrive. He was anxious, he did not know what to do or how to act properly around the blond. There was always something that made the young priest feel as though he were making a fool of himself in front of said blond, his heart would race at the very thought of Joey, and every time he caught a glimpse of the blond and his beautiful being, Seth's breath would be taken away.

Joey made the priest's once ice-cold heart melts with a simple smile, and just the sound of his name escaping the blonde's soft lips would brighten his day. He smiled to himself as he thought of spending the day with Joey, and it was thanks to his dear cousin for setting them up.

-Flashback-

It was the end of their trial session and Seth just wanted to leave to see his beloved. But before he could make it out the door, the Pharaoh had called out to him, asking him to stay behind for a while. After everyone had left, Seth approached the pharaoh, who was sitting at his throne and kneeled.

"You asked for me, my pharaoh?" Seth asked, wondering what this was about.

Atemu smirked and nodded. "Indeed, my dear cousin, I want you to take the rest of the day off to spend with Joey."

Seth jerked his head up and stared at the pharaoh in confusion, he wanted the priest to spend the day with Joey? What was he up to?

"And why is that, my Pharaoh?" Seth asked, not liking the way the Pharaoh seemed to be smirking. Atemu let out a deep chuckle under his breath and stood, walking down from his throne to stand in front of Seth.

"I plan to set you two up, Joey really does like you Seth, now he shall get ready and wait for you at the entrance of the palace. You best be there." He explained, before heading towards the doors.

"At the entrance, my Pharaoh? But did he say he would come or is this something you are making up as you go along?" The priest asked, getting a little suspicious. Why would he do this? What would he gain?

"Seth." Atemu began, suddenly becoming very serious, the smug look on his face gone. "You will have to trust me on this, now go make yourself look pretty and take Joey out to have the best day of his life with you." That being said, the Pharaoh left a now speechless priest behind.

-End-

As Seth thought, he heard rushing footsteps behind him. Turning to look over his shoulder, the priest smiled brightly as he saw his beloved running towards him, calling out his name.

"Joey." He greeted happily, almost out of character, but what did he care anymore? Seth trapped the blond in a tight embrace, burying his face in the name of Joey's neck and smiling as he heard the other giggle.

"Seth, that tickles," Joey mumbled, smiling as the brunet turned his head and looked deeply into his beloved's eyes.

"Are you ready to go Joey?" Seth asked, grabbing ahold of Joey's hand. Blushing brightly, Joey nodded his head and soon, the two were off, down the stairs of the palace and out, heading towards the market place as they often did.

But as the two walked, Seth felt a jerk on his hand. Turning his head; he saw that Joey was dragging him towards a temple that was built for the gods. But it was not just any temple; it was the Temple of Seth.

"Hey, Seth! Let's go here this time! I wanna check this place out!" Joey shouted in excitement. Seth chuckled and nodded his head, getting to the same pace as Joey so that the two were now walking side by side, with their hands tightly in one another, their fingers intertwined.

Once Seth had gotten the guards to let them through, the two were inside. Joey gasped as he saw the beauty of the temple. There were a few statues of a serpent with red eyes around the halls, which lead to a taller serpent that stood in the middle, having a large, offering table in front of him. The walls were made of stone, and scaled so lovely that they resembled marble. The ceiling seemed to have been encased in gold, with blue around the sides, outlining it. Joey just gaped at the scenery and smiled brightly with excitement.

"Oh, my gods this is so awesome!" He exclaimed, with Seth chuckling and watching him with a gentle expression. Letting out a small, soft squeal, Joey ran to where the offering table was and looked around.

"God I wish I had a camera with me right now!" He shouted, taking in all that was before him. On the offering table, he noticed that there were bread, fruits and a bunch of other things there for the god Seth to enjoy.

"It is beautiful, is it not?"

Turning, Joey looked at Seth and nodded, he was so happy to be there, wait until the others hear about this!

Tristan would be so jealous.

"My father named me after the great serpent. I do not know why, but he did. I am the one that was chosen to take care of this temple." Seth began, walking so that he was now standing beside the blond, gazing up at the serpent statue. "Seth was the brother of Isis and Osiris. And like them, he was the son of the sky goddess Nut and the earth Geb. Seth is the dark side of his brother and sister. Isis makes the crops grow and Osiris is the god of the Pharaohs who maintains order, but Seth is the god of chaos."

Joey listened in intensely, drinking in every single word that spilled from Seth's lips, as he explained the origin of the Serpent God Seth.

"In some stories, Seth showed his bad side by ripping his way out of his mother's side to be born instead of a regular birth. In paintings, Seth usually has red hair and red eyes, to show that he is odd and different. He also has an animal head, and sometimes takes the form of a crocodile, a hippopotamus, or a black pig- all dangerous animals." With a deep sigh, the young priest gazed down sadly, before he continued. "In one story, Seth drowned his brother in the Nile river and cut his body into pieces. Osiris's son, Horus, found his uncle Seth and fought him to avenge his father. In the battle, Horus lost his left eye, and Seth lost the ability to have children..."

Joey furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, watching as the priest grew angry with himself, fisting his hands as though he were having an inner battle.

"I have always wondered why I was named Seth. Was I doomed to be hated? Or did my father believe that I would bring Chaos to this world? Is that also why no one has ever truly loved me for me, instead of my position as high priest? Am I doomed to never be loved by anyone?" He ranted on, asking himself these questions, each word coating itself in venom as he continued.

Joey couldn't help but frown deeply, is this the war that the priest has been having with himself until the day of his death? It would seem likely, for he was acting similar to Seto. The CEO often held his feelings and everything else inside, trying to show the world that he himself was fine, all the while fighting a losing battle within himself day in and day out.

Joey reached out and gently grabbed Seth's hand in his, giving it an encouraging squeeze. The young priest looked up and turned to gaze at the blond, raising a brow at him in confusion.

"Joey?" The brunet asked, watching as the blond smiled at him softly.

"You are nothing like the God of chaos Seth, you are you, and I really do like ya for who ya are." Joey began, Turning his body to face the priest fully. "I don't really give a shit if you're a priest, Pharaoh or a Thief king, I like Seth for Seth, nothing more nothing less." Slowly, Joey leaned in and gave Seth a soft peck on the cheek. "Don't let anyone ever tell ya otherwise, alright? Or else I'll beat his ass to a pulp for ya."

Seth stared at the blond, raising a hand to gently touch the cheek the blond kissed, before smiling at him softly in return.

"I won't." He replied.

Joey's smile brightened and he turned to pull the priest out of the temple.

"Good, and if ya ever think like that again, I'll kick your pretty little priest butt from here ta Greece." After hearing that, Seth let out a wholehearted laugh. He has never laughed like that in his life, maybe spending time with Joey was a good idea, bless the Pharaoh.

For once.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seto sighed as he looked all around.

He kept wandering around the palace, looking for Joey, but the blond was nowhere to be found. Seto wanted to spend some time with his little pup, he didn't want to fight with him, he just wanted to be around the happy blond. Hearing a noise from behind him, Seto's heart made a little flop, believing it was the blond he had been looking all over for.

"Joey?" The brunet asked with slight hope, as he turned around to glance behind him.

But it wasn't Joey.

Before he knew it, he was tackled to the ground, by a bunch of palace guards.

"What the fuck are you bastards doing?!" Seto growled, trying to fight the two guards off. He never was the type to swear unless something or someone really pissed him off. The guards were not strong enough to hold him down, so a third had come in to help out. This only angered the brunet even more, and he fought to get the three off with all his might. They had to get a fourth guard, and finally, a fifth just to hold down the brunet.

As they all pinned him down, a shy, slave girl came to them as they moved as best as they could and held his arm out, telling the girl who was holding a sharp dagger to cut it.

"Oh fuck no! Don't you fucking take one more step, you bitch!" Seto growled, glaring at the slave girl. She flinched at his enraged voice, as small tears formed in her eyes. Ignoring the way she felt, the guards yelled at her to cut him, for they were unable to hold him down for much longer. Still fighting, the CEO tried with all his might to move his arm away, and he was starting to succeed.

Freaking out, the small slave girl squeaked and ran to where the brunet was held. She knelt down and took out a small little vial, prickling Seto's finger and quickly taking a few droplets of his blood, placing it within the vile and running off as if the devil was on her heels. The guards saw that she was done and they all got off of the young CEO as quick as they could, turning on their heels to run back the way they had arrived. Growling, Seto looked around for some sort of weapon and saw a spear leaning against the wall.

Reaching for it, the young brunet ran towards the direction of the guards, spear in hand and pissed as hell, ready to show them what happens when you mess with Seto Mother-Fucking Kaiba.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After going into a few other temples, Seth had taken Joey to the Nile, laughing at the funny and extremely cute reactions the blond would express from time to time, like when he would pout when he didn't get what he wanted, or scrunched up his face when he found something ugly or disgusting. Or when his face would lit up at the sound of children, the smell of food or the sight of something cute and pretty. As they walked towards the Nile, Seth pointed out to a large, golden boat that was heading their way.

"You see that Joey?" Seth asked, laughing as the blond's jaw dropped.

"Holy crap in the Nile, is that the Pharaoh's boat?" He asked in shock.

Seth nodded and explained that the Pharaoh had allowed him to keep the boat for the day. The boat was long and had golden columns, three on each side, all joined together to hold up a gold-like roof with silver and crimson linings around it. There were symbols and such on them, each done beautifully on the inside of the roof. There was also a throne there for the Pharaoh to sit on whenever he chose to ride the boat. The throne had a soft, crimson cushion placed over it, with gold rimes around it and some violet and lavender pillows next to the throne, so that the Pharaoh's slaves could kneel down and feed or fan him. Joey took it all in, allowing Seth to gently wrap his arm around his waist and guide him onto the boat.

"I thought it would be nice if I showed you around, you know, through the Nile," Seth whispered to him softly, nodding towards the slaves so that they may move the boat along.

Gently, as the boat moved away from the shore, the soft current of the Nile swerved and moved along, a soft breeze blew by brushing through Joey's hair, and the sight of the villages around them took Joey's breath away.

"It's beautiful Seth... This is so awesome!" He shouted with excitement, running up to the front of the boat, gently placing his hands on the rails to look over onto the water. His smile grew as he saw his reflection in the crystal clear and glistering waters of the Nile. Seth smiled and walked up to Joey, looking down to gaze at his reflection as well.

"I am very pleased to hear that you find this 'awesome' as you say"

Joey just laughed and wrapped an arm around the priest's neck, giving the brunet a sideways hug, as he would often do to Yugi or any one of his friends. "Of course it's awesome Seth! How many common people do ya see having da chance ta not only get ta ride on the Pharaoh's boat, but also be next to an amazing guy like you?"

A small taint of pink dusted the priest's tan cheeks, and soon he chuckled and wrapped his arms around Joey's waist, moving ever so slightly so that his face was buried in the blond's neck.

"You are right. Not many do have this opportunity, but you Joey, are special..." The two stayed like that for a while, before Joey sighed blissfully and smiled softly.

"Ya know, it's so great ta finally be able ta speak with you guys now. I'm glad I can understand ya, Seth." Seth smiled and moved his head so that he was now looking deeply into his beloved's eyes.

"Indeed it is, and I am glad that I can speak to you freely, without having to act like the high priest everyone expects me to act like all the time." Heaving a sigh, the young priest held Joey tightly. "I don't... Actually enjoy being a servant to the Pharaoh, but this is the way I was born I suppose, there is nothing I can do about it."

Joey frowned, moving slightly, he moved his hands and cupped the priest's cheeks, gazing deeply into his soft, light blue eyes.

"Seth, what did I say about thinkin' badly about yourself? I'm glad you can talk freely to me but please, I don't like hearing ya talk like that. Ya sound like you're in emotional pain and I don't like it." Slowly, Joey went on his tiptoes and placed a soft kiss upon Seth's forehead, before looking back into Seth's eyes. "Please, for now, I want you to be you and smile. This day is just for the two of us; it's just for Seth and Joey, not for the Priest and the Pharaoh's friend..."

Seth gazed deeply into Joey's eyes, wondering why his chest was tightening all of a sudden. He felt warm, and a feeling he has never felt before in his nineteen years of life. He wanted to hold Joey forever and take him away from anyone who would only try to hurt him. Seth let out a soft smiled and gently brushed his lips onto Joeys', smirking when the blond blushed, before burying his face at the nape of Joey's neck again, kissing it lightly. The two smiled and held each other tightly, neither wanting to let go, as they both listened to the gentle and soothing sounds of the boat softy swimming along with the waves of the Nile.

Soon the sun began to set, and Seth had the servants turn the boat back around, taking it to the shore.

Once they got off, the two walked hand in hand down a small path, leading them to a secret watering hole that only the priest and the Pharaoh knew about.

"Seth? Why are we here?" Joey breathed out, as he saw the water glisten in the beautiful light of the moon. It was similar to the kind most people in the movies have a mirage about, the only difference was that this was real. The moon provided beautiful lighting, making the water glister and sparkle. The palm trees waved around freely, moving gently with the warm breeze, almost inviting them to come for a swim.

"Do you like it here Joey?" Seth asked softly, whispering into the blond's ear, he smiled in satisfaction when he noticed the blond shiver in delight. "Come." He whispered, grabbing onto Joey's hand and gently guiding the other into the water.

"Wait, with our clothes on and everythin’?"

Seth just chuckled and let go of Joey's hand, walking into the water until it reached his waist. Joey couldn't help but blush as he watched the tunic disappear into the water. The young priest reached his hands down and took off his tunic top, throwing it onto the side. He then went on to take off his gold earrings and necklace, along with his bracelets, throwing them to where his top was. Once he was done, he looked up and smiled at Joey, reaching out a hand to help the blond.

Joey had to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, Seth looked so sexy in the moonlight, and it complimented his soft, sunkissed skin. Joey looked at the brunet's hand, before sighing softly and blushing brightly; he walked in slowly and took Seth's offering hand, allowing the other to softly guide him into the water. Once the water was up to his waist, Joey looked away, not wanting to look at Seth, who was smirking at him.

"Joey, don't just stand there, move around a bit, enjoy the water," Seth whispered, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Joey's warm cheek. The young teen blushed even more, as Seth used his hands to cup up some water; he scooped it up and raised it above Joey's head, splashing some on him.

The blond male moaned softly as the warm water felt refreshing on his burning skin. Seth chuckled and within seconds he dived under, before popping up all wet. The young teen watched as the brunet raised his hands and ran his fingers through his newly wet hair. Seth sighed in bliss as he opened his eyes, his smiled broaden as he found his beloved's eyes staring at him.

"Joey," Seth whispered softly, leaning in to lean his forehead against the blond's.

"I...I wanna try that..." Joey mumbled, blushing slightly.

Within seconds Joey was underwater and soon popped his head out. He had repeated Seth's every move, but when he opened his eyes, he found the brunet staring at him with such a loving gaze that it made Joey's heartbeat at an alarming rate.

"Seth," Joey whispered softly, as he moved forward, gently placing both his hands on the priest's chest and gazing into the priest's eyes. Seth kissed Joeys' head softly, and guided them both, gently, deeper into the water. Once the water was up to their elbows, Seth smiled and lifted his hands to cup Joey's cheeks lovingly.

"My Joey." He mumbled softly, before leaning in to kiss the blond's soft lips. The young blond didn't hesitate to kiss back, and the two soon stood there, holding each other tightly, neither wanting to let go.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The two had gone back to the palace, hand in hand, greeted by a very giggly Mana, a smug-looking Atemu and a very proud, mother figure Isis.

"Welcome back you two!" Mana shouted, running to hug the both of them tightly, Joey chuckled and hugged back as Seth simply ruffled her head. Atemu and Isis walked up to them as well, smiling and asking about how their day went. At certain parts, Joey would blush to a crimson and turn his head away, ignoring Mana and her winks, as well as the nudges implying innuendo.

"Well, it is late, and you two are just in time for dinner," Isis announced, turning around and motioning for the others to follow her. "Come, let us dine and then retire to bed."

Smiling, the four of them followed the kind priestess into the dining room, Seth never letting go of Joey's hand along the way. As they sat down, the doors opened and in came Seto. He strode inside and sat right next to Joey, glaring at Seth as he did so.

Dinner was fine, both brunets behaved and neither started a food fight, that is until Seto turned to ask Joey something and witnessed the two holding hands underneath the table. Jealousy built up in Seto's chest, he growled and gripped Joey's upper arm tightly.

"Wheeler." He mumbled, getting the blonde's attention. Turning his attention away from Seth, Joey turned to meet Seto's hurt and jealous gaze. Raising a brow, Joey asked him what he needed, and the other just demanded that Joey meet him after dinner in the halls.

Rolling his eyes, Joey agreed. Dinner was going well, that is until Seth began another food fight with Seto. Seth and Seto began to throw food around, Maahad and the pharaoh each ran up trying to stop it, but it only resulted in them both being used as meat shields. Once again, Joey and Isis stopped the two from making an even more mess than they already had, but Seth just launched himself at Seto, strangling the other as Seto repeated the violent gesture. It took them a while but Joey was able to pry Seto away from the priest, gripping him tightly by his ear and bidding the others goodnight.

After a while of walking, Joey stopped by his chamber doors and turned to Seto, letting go of his ear and crossing his arms.

"Seto, what da hell is your problem?"

Seto growled and glared at the blond, as he rubbed his now aching ear.

"My problem? What about him!? He started it!" The brunet accused, cursing under his breath about how his ear felt like it would fall off soon. Joey just rolled his eyes.

"Seto you're nineteen years old, quit acting like you're five!" He scolded, honestly what was the other's problem? At this Seto growled and narrowed his eyes hard at the blond before him, oh so suddenly it was HIS fault?

"Acting like a five year old? _I’M_ THE ONE ACTING LIKE A FIVE YEAR OLD?!" He yelled, causing some servants who were walking down the hall to squeak and run the other way. Joey simply scoffed and placed his hands on his narrow waist.

"Yes, _YA ARE_!" He stepped closer and glared at the brunet. "Ever since ya got here you've done nothin' but fight with Seth!"

The CEO growled. "I only do it because he's challenging me!"

"Is that so?" Joey said sarcastically. "Oh, my gods, your poor _ego!_"

The brunet scoffed at the shorter male's sarcastic tone.

"Why are you defending that asshole anyway? He looks just like me what makes him so different?"

Joey stared at Seto as if he were crazy. "Are you blind?! He may look like ya but he's _nothin_' like ya!"

"Oh really?" Crossing his arms, Seto raised a brow at him. "I highly doubt that he's probably more of an ass than I am!"

Joey began to get angry and stomped his foot like an annoyed teenage girl with a flat chest. "He's nothing' like ya! For one he's not a total dick with a stick up his ass the whole time! And he's at least kind ta me! He's been nothin' but sweet ta me when we went out today and all you've done these past few years is taunt me and make me feel like shit ya jerk!"

Upon hearing that Joey had been with Seth the entire day, Seto growled and fisted his hands. "You went out with THAT dipshit and left me alone here all day? You fucking left with _him?!_"

Joey just nodded and crossed his arms. "And he really cares for me, and in all honesty, I don't see why _YOU_ care whether I went out with him or not! Go find yourself someone else ta fuck with, and leave me the hell alone!"

Suddenly, Seto's fist slammed the wall beside him, causing it to echo around the halls and Joey to jump a little in fright. Looking up, he saw pure rage and jealousy coating Seto's dark blue eyes.

"Why do I care, you ask?" Seto began, saying it calmly; it began to freak Joey out. The blond began to take a few steps backward, until Seto's hand shot out and gripped his elbow tightly, bringing him towards the other and forcing him to meet his eyes. "Does he really care? Does he _really_? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR _FUCKING_ MIND?!" Joey tried to rip his arm away from Seto grasp, failing miserably. The CEO growled and gripped Joey's shoulders tightly, shaking him a little.

"DO YOU THINK ALL I WANT TO DO IS JUST FUCK YOU? TO JUST USE YOU AND LEAVE? WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE YOU SEE THAT I DON'T WANT NOR NEED ANYONE ELSE!" Joey tried to get away but the brunet just gripped him tighter, before stopping and laying his head on Joey's shoulder. "You're a useless, stupid and oblivious mutt... Why won't you fucking open your eyes already?"

At that, Joey's eyes widened as he finally got out of Seto's iron grip, tears formed in his eyes as he soon began to glare at the other. Pulling back his fist, the young teen punched the CEO straight in the jaw.

Once watching the other grunt, he huffed and ran off, sobbing and ignoring Seto's yells for him to come back.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

With tears pouring out of his eyes, Joey knocks on Seth's bedchamber doors, hoping the brunet was in. He sniffled and tried to push back his tears, as the sound of someone unlocking the door was heard.

Soon, the doors pushed open to reveal the priest, all nice and clean with nothing but his long tunic on.

"Joey?" He asked in confusion, wondering why the blond was there at his doorsteps.

"H-hey Seth..." The other mumbled weakly. Seth took notice of Joey's eyes, all red and puffy, along with the tear stains on his cheeks.

"Joey!" The other cried, reaching out to grab ahold of his beloved, hugging him close. "What has happened? Who has caused you to cry, my love?"

Joey just hugged back and began to sob, as Seth just held the blond, running his hands in the other's hair and muttering words of comfort into his ear. After a few minutes, Joey was able to stop crying and Seth was able to ask him what was wrong. Joey gained the courage to finally tell him what Seto had said to him, noticing the look of pure rage in Seth's eyes.

After he finished, Seth told Joey to stay put in his room while he went off to find Seto; Joey reached out a hand and grabbed Seth's on his own.

"Wait why are ya goin' ta find Seto?" The blond asked, still sniffling a bit. The priest turned to him with a look of determination and rage in his eyes.

"I am going to find him and show him what happens when he hurts my beloved." Before Seth could leave though, Joey hugged him tightly from behind. He held him there for a while, before whispering in a soft voice.

"Don't go... Please, Seth, don't go." After thinking about it, the priest heaved a sigh and turned his body around, wrapping his arms around Joey tightly. "Seth?" Joey asked softly, moving his face upward to stare into the priest's sky blue eyes.

"Yes my beloved?" Seth asked, reaching a hand to cup Joey's cheek.

"Can I sleep here with you tonight? I-I mean ya don't have to let me if you don't want to but..."

Seth let out a chuckle and kissed Joey's head softly. "Of course my love, you may sleep in here if you wish." He guided Joey inside and closed the door behind him.

As the two laid down, Joey moved closer to cuddle onto Seth's chest, as the elder male wrapped his arms around his waist. They laid there for a moment, enjoying each other's company until Joey began to speak. "Ya know, my life used ta be worse than this."

Seth turned to look at Joey and raised a brow at him in confusion, keeping his mouth shut to allow him to continue.

"I used ta do bad things." The blond continued, frowning slightly at his past actions. "I used ta steal, and bully people... I-I even got in trouble with the higher authority... I was a bad kid. I got into knife fights and would even steal cash from kids younger or older than me." As Joey went on, his eyes began to water again, reliving his memories in his mind. Seth just stayed quiet, letting the blond say what he wanted to say.

"I'm a horrible person! I guess I deserve all the pain and misery I get huh? I guess the gods saw that it was high time I pay the price for all the bad things I've done in life..." Seth watched as Joey sobbed softly and heard his sniffles. Smiling softly, the priest lifted a hand and began to wipe away Joey's tears.

"Shhh, my love." He whispered, holding the other gently. "Shhh don't cry. It is alright, you probably only did what you had to do to survive, you are a kind-hearted boy Joey, I have witnessed it with my own eyes. And if I am lying, then let the gods come forth and take my life away at this very moment." Joey stared into Seth's eyes, trying to find out if he was lying to him, only to find love and truth in them. "I love you Joey, and your past does not matter to me, nor will it ever matter. You are my world, my light, and my life."

Seth then leaned in and kissed Joey's lips, the blond did not hesitate to kiss back, and soon, that soft kiss grew and became more rough and passionate. Seth then rolled onto Joey and held him tightly. Joey’s hands began to roam down Seth’s body, once low enough he began to tug at the man’s tunic, silently requesting them off.

The two held each other tightly before Seth pulled away and gazed down at Joey with lust-filled eyes.

"Joey." He said softly through pants. "Are you sure you are willing to do this with me?" He stared down, wondering if the blond will allow him to move forward or not.

Joey panted and slowly nodded his head.

Seth heaved a soft sigh and leaned his head forward, capturing Joey's lips in a fiery kiss. The priest's hands began to move, traveling down from Joey's waist towards his thighs; he began to rub them affectionately, causing the blond to moan. Seth soon took that opportunity to shove his tongue into Joey's mouth and the two had a little war of dominance. The priest had won and soon explored the new territory before him, memorizing everything Joey had to offer.

Joey shyly lifted his hands and slowly, began to move them up Seth's chest, rubbing him softly before wrapping them around his neck. Once the two broke away for air, Joey gazed deeply into Seth's sky blue eyes.

"This is my first time..." He mumbled, a little embarrassed. Seth just smiled softly as he pecked Joey's cheek, moving his lips down to his jaw. "Do not worry my love, I shall be gentle with you." That being said, the brunet slowly began to kiss down Joey's jaw, to his neck, lightly kissing and biting. After finding Joey's sweet spot and hearing the young blond's moan, Seth began to nip and suck on it for a while, leaving a little love bite on the blond's neck for the whole world to see.

Soon the priest began to kiss lower, kissing Joey's chest softly, moving onto his nipples. Joey let out a sharp gasp as Seth took in one of his nipples into his mouth and began to suck and bite on it gently, while his hand was occupied with the other.

"S-Seth!" Joey moaned, as the priest soon turned his attention to the other nipple and giving it the same amount of affection. Joey moaned and bucked his hips upward a little, hearing the priest chuckle.

"Be still my love, I shall take care of you soon."

The priest soon continued to kiss downward, licking and kissing Joey's stomach until he reached his waist.

"Joey, I am going to take these off now, alright?" He warned the other as he began to undo Joey's tunic and throwing it onto the ground, leaving the cloth to be ignored. Joey blushed to a crimson and tried to cover himself, only to have Seth remove his hands. "Please, do not hide from me, Joey. You are so beautiful, let me see all of you."

Once Joey's hands were out of the way, Seth smiled and kissed his lips softly, before moving downwards and smirking.

"Seth? What are ya- Ah!" Joey moaned as Seth ran his tongue up Joey's member, from the shaft to the tip. He chuckled as he heard the young teen call out his name, and soon, he engulfed his member, sucking and licking it profoundly. Joey panted and soon his moans began to cry out louder.

"Seth!" He cried, feeling something warm building up inside him. Seth soon began to swirl his tongue around the shaft, earning himself a soft moan from the blond. "Seth!" Joey cried out, as the priest began to suck faster and harder. The young blond placed his hands on the priest's head, gripping his hair lightly as he panted, all the while Seth was bobbing his head up and down, taking in as much of Joey as he could in his mouth, his pace quickening by the second. "S-stop! I'm... I'm ganna- AH!" Within seconds, Joey came into the priest's mouth.

As he panted, Seth swallowed, not letting a single drop fall, he wiped his mouth and smirked at the sight of his beloved.

"My love, you look so adorable... Like a little, helpless puppy." He whispered, before kissing Joey's cheeks softly.

Joey moaned and had accidentally brushed his knee against Seth's hardening groin, causing the priest to let out a moan of his own. Reaching out, Seth took from a little table beside him a small vial of unscented oil. The reasons as to why he had this oil were for him and him alone to know. Popping open the top that held it sealed, the priest began to coat three fingers with the clear liquid. Once done, he placed the oil on the little table and turned to stare down at his beloved with worried eyes.

"Joey, I am about to start alright? If it starts to become too much for you to handle, just tell me and I promise I'll stop." After he received a nod, Seth went on to gently move his index finger in Joey's entrance, watching as the blond beneath him wiggled a bit, moaning a little in pain and grunting.

He waited a few minutes, before asking if he could insert the second finger. Joey nodded and prepared himself to be penetrated. Seth leaned down and placed a trail of soft kisses on the blond's neck and jaw as he slid a second finger in, waiting for the blond to get adjusted. After Joey claimed he was fine, Seth began to move his fingers, thrusting them slowly in and out of his beloved's entrance. Joey moaned as he began to grow accustomed to the feeling of Seth's fingers in him.

"Haa! Hnn...ngh!" The blond panted, opening his eyes to see a sweaty brunet above him.

"Are you ready for the third one Joey?"

Joey panted and nodded, moaning as Seth placed another finger into his opening, slowly, he began to thrust.

"Mmmm... Joey." The brunet whispered into his ear, thrusting a little faster, scissoring his fingers as he prepared the blond for something much bigger.

"Ha! Ah ah, Seth!" Joey moaned, moving his hips a little.

Seth quickened his pace until he hit that lovely bundle of nerves that made the other see stars.

"AHH!" He cried, causing the priest to smirk. Leaning down to kiss his pup gently, Seth began to thrust his fingers a few more times before he pulled them out.

Reaching out to the table again, he took the vial and began to slick his harden cock with oil. Once done he placed the vial back and positioned himself in between Joey's thighs.

"Are you ready, Joey?" Seth asked, only to receive a moan from the blond. Slowly, he pushed his cock in, pecking Joey's lips affectionately when the other hissed a little from the pain. Seth pushed in further until he was all the way in. He waited a while, allowing Joey to get adjusted to his large size, all the while moaning at the warmth that surrounded him. He had fantasized about Joey but he never had the slightest idea that his beloved was so tight.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Joey nodded.

"Okay, I'm ready." Allowing the brunet to start a slow rhythm. The priest moved in and out slowly, enjoying not only the feel and sounds of his beloved but the sight as well.

"S-Seth!" Joey panted, wrapping his arms against the priest's neck. It had felt strange at first, having something inside of him reaching places he didn’t know existed, but soon after it began to feel so good as he relaxed. "F-faster! Please!" He begged. Soon the priest gained speed and began thrusting faster deep into the blond.

"ah! _Hnn!_" Joey moaned, thrusting his hips along with the priest. Soon, Joey's voice became louder, as he begged for Seth to go harder and faster. The priest complied and soon, he was thrusting at an unimaginable speed, moaning and holding on tightly to the blond.

"Joey." He panted, as he reached a free hand over that wasn't gripping the blond's hip tightly and began to pump his member. Joey let out a wail of moans, moving his hips faster.

The priest could feel himself coming, and he knew that Joey was going to as well.

"Seth! Seth, I'm ganna!... _AHH!_" Joey cried before he came hard all over his chest and Seth's hand. The priest groaned in pleasure, feeling Joey's walls tightening against him. After a few hard thrusts, he came hard inside the blond, moaning out his name in the process. Still, inside of Joey, Seth collapsed on top of him, as they both panted and held each other close, coated in a thin sheen of sweat and feeling more satisfied than they ever have in their lives.

Seth shifted a little in order to crush his lips onto Joey's. He left a soft trail of kisses down the blond's neck and smiled to himself. He had made love to the boy he had wanted and felt like the Gods had blessed him.

The two laid there, basking in the afterglow. Seth's fingers ran through Joey's soft and lightly sweaty hair, the blond had fallen asleep just a few minutes before, exhausted from their lovemaking, and looking extremely satisfied. Seth couldn't help but let out a smile, he had gotten his beloved, when things went rough Joey had gone to him. Joey had always gone to him. And he intended for it to stay that way, if Seth knew anything about himself, it's that he is the possessive type.

Once he has something he truly can't live without, then he will fight to the death to keep it. And for Joey, he would gladly kill a million people just to make sure the other was safe and sound.

Seth yawned and held Joey closer to him, chuckling as the blond began to cuddle against his chest lovingly. Seth then leaned in and whispered gently into his ear.

"Joey, you don't know how much I adore you." He hugged the blond a little tighter and continued. "I love you, and I am glad that the gods have sent you to me. You have brightened up my days, for I was alone in the dark without your happiness. I love you, Joey, you are my world, my light, and my very life..."

The priest yawns again, and soon, he falls asleep, holding his beloved tightly in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In other stories, Seth and Horus are sometimes different sides of the same god, and people prayed to them together. Just thought you should know...
> 
> So anyways I hope you enjoyed, the lemon was weird. I'll get chapter 7 out soon. And no, Yugi will not be in that one, next up is Seto's turn for a date.
> 
> And for those of you wondering, Yugi will appear in Chapter 8.


	8. A Date With Seto?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So great news! I decided NOT to add Yugi to this chapter, I added him to NEXT chapter! 
> 
> YAAAY -hides so they are not killed-

Seto woke up that morning to the sound of beeping. A song he quickly recognized as The Duel Monsters' theme song rang loudly around the quiet room. Sighing, Seto turned to his side and grabbed the object on the side table, pressing the talk button he sat up slowly and placed the device to his ear out of habit.

"Kaiba." He responded, yawning softly as he rubbed his head.

_"Seto!" _Mokuba's voice sounded on the other end.

Seto raised a brow, suddenly waking up fully and looking around, finding himself in his regular room at the palace in ancient Egypt.

Then how the hell?

His.

Cell.

Phone.

He had forgotten that it was in the pocket of his trench coat, he simply assumed it was out of battery.

"Mokuba!" Seto exclaimed, quickly standing up and ignoring that he was in fact, naked.

_"Big brother! I'm so glad your cell works even though your 5,000 years in the past!" _Mokuba cried, happiness and relief lacing his voice.

He took the cell away from his ear and stared at it, it was a touch screen, with the initials SK on the back. He had had it specially made, and he thank the gods in the skies above that he had it made solar-powered in case he was in a place with no power.

Best decision he’s made with his cellphone, ever.

"Mokuba, how are things? Are you eating right? Going to bed early? What about Kaiba corp? Anybody trying anything? If so just give me their names and I’ll have their head on a platter well done and fed to the dogs!" Mokuba just chuckled on the other end of the line, missing his brother so much.

_"Things are fine, yes I'm eating healthy, yes I get to bed early every night, Kaiba corp is fine. I told everyone you were taking a sudden vacation and that you didn't want to be questioned or they'd be fired so no, no one is harming me."_ Seto sighed in relief, feeling the weight on his shoulders lift a bit.

_"But enough about me big bro, how are you? Did you find Joey and Yugi?"_

Seto's eyes widen.

He had forgotten that Yugi was there as well.

"I’ve found Joey, sadly we still have to find Yugi." He admitted, quickly grabbing his tunic and placing it on, balancing the cell with his shoulder. As he changed he heard voices in the background. "I'm guessing the geek squad is there as well?" He asked, rolling his eyes as he adjusted his slash around his waist.

_"Yeah, they've actually been helpful in trying to fix the machine! Tristan and Duke have been cleaning and rebuilding the machine while Tea has been making sure I eat, and she scares off any and every businessman that's tried to take over the company!"_ Seto grunted to show that he was listening as he grabbed his trench coat and headed for the door.

_"It was actually Serenity's idea to see if I could call you Seto..."_

Seto smiled, he was glad that he finally had an excuse to go see his pup that morning, without having that priest interrupt. As he walked down the halls he paid attention to his brother explaining how they plan to open the portal back. As he got closer to Joey's chamber doors, he saw his look-alike priest skipping down the halls happily. Seto nearly dropped the cell in the process, for he knew full well what that face and the smug look on any man's face meant.

It yelled, "I got laid last night."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The blond rubbed his backside gently, groaning as he tried to sit straight. He had heard that it would hurt after the first time but he didn't think it would hurt him _this_ bad.

That morning Seth had been so affectionate with him, not wanting to leave the bed at all until Joey confessed that he couldn't feel his legs and that he was getting hungry. Seth, wanting to take care of his beloved, had quickly gotten dressed and headed off to get him something to eat. All the while Joey just laid there thinking to himself.

'_Why the hell hadn't he just gotten someone else to do it?_'

Hearing the door creak open Joey smiled and turned.

"Seth ya know ya could have just..." He trailed off as he saw Seto standing there, his eyes in shock and in disbelief as he took in the blond's state. "K-Kaiba?!" He squeaked in horror, as he tried to cover himself.

The brunet just walked right in, closing the door behind him and making his way towards the bed, stopping right before the younger teen. He had a murderous look on his face as he stared at something on Joey's neck. He lifted up the cell and pressed a button.

"Speak." He demanded.

Before Joey could say anything, a familiar voice spoke through the small device.

_"Big brother?"_

Joey's eyes soon widened as he supported his weight on his knees, ignoring the pain that shot through his spine.

"S-Serenity?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seth walked down the halls happily as he entered the dining halls. He greeted the priests and pharaoh with a bright smile as he grabbed an empty bowl and filled it with fruits. Atemu raised a brow at him curiously.

"I take that you had a wonderful night, correct?" Atemu asked with a smile, as he watched the smile on his cousin grow. The priest just chuckled and nodded.

"Indeed, one of the best nights of my life. For you see, Joey had come to my chambers last night, and has even accompanied me in bed." He didn't even bother to pay attention to the fact that everyone in the room's jaw dropped. He hummed a small tune and walked off, but not before chuckling, and saying. "The gods truly are kind!"

As he walked up towards his chamber doors, he heard voices coming from inside. Confused, Seth stopped before the doors and pressed his ears to them, he could faintly hear Joey's voice, and a muffled one, from someone he does not know. He could hear that the blond was clearly happy about something. Unable to stand there and not know what was going on inside his own bedroom, the priest opened the door, only to see Seto standing at the side of his bed holding a black rock towards Joey, who had tears of joy in his eyes.

Seth stared at Seto, who was glaring at him harder than usual. Before Seth could open his mouth the black rock spoke, causing the priest to drop the bowl to the ground and leaving it to clatter at his feet. Joey looked up and saw Seth standing there in shock.

"Seth?" The blond called, squeaking when the priest glared at the black rock in his look-alike's hand.

"That rock is cursed!"

"The rock is... Cursed?" Joey repeated, raising a brow in confusion as Seto blinked, before bursting out laughing, dropping the cell onto the bed before he held his stomach with one hand and holding onto his knee with the other. Joey glared at Seto before standing up and wrapping the sheets around his waist, wincing as he stood. He then limped his way towards the priest, grabbing his hand gently and pulling him outside.

Once outside of the doors Joey looked up at the priest as he glared at the door.

"That accursed rock hasn't done anything to you has it? What has that idiot done?!" He growled. Joey sighed and hugged the priest, nuzzling his neck. The brunet soon calmed down, and held the blond tightly, glaring at the doors to his chambers where Seto could be heard laughing.

"Seth, it's kinda hard ta explain, but I guess me and Seto will have ta do it eventually. I need you ta get the priests and the pharaoh together, I'll be down in a minute okay?" Normally Seth would have asked him a million questions, but seeing that look of desperation on the blond's face caused him to bite his tongue and simply nod. Joey smiled and pecked the man on the lips lovingly before turning to get back inside.

"And take Seto with you!"

With that, said brunet was forcefully kicked out of the room, black rock in hand. As the chamber door shut close, the two glared at each other and began to walk down the halls. As they walked Seto glared harder at the priest and began to mumble, knowing that the look-alike wouldn't understand him in the slightest.

Today was going to be a long day...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After explaining what the accursed black rock really did, Seto began explaining to Joey, who in return translated everything, about how they were supposed to head home.

"Apparently Mokuba thinks that we need to find a key factor that will take us home. Which ironically, is literally a key." Seto explained, causing Joey to tilt his head, glancing at the priests who were chatting away with the pharaoh about the news they have just received.

"Like, the millennium key?" Seto just shook his head and grabbed an apple.

"No, a key. One that can only be found in what I believe is an unobtainable tomb from an unknown prince. That or someone we may know in this time has one." He took a bite of the apple, too lost in thought to realize that Joey was intensely watching the juice drip down his chin. "I'm afraid we might have to ask for help from that _bastard_," Seto muttered.

Joey tilted his head cutely, causing the older male to blush and look down at his apple emotionless. His eyes portrayed betrayal and hurt, something Joey couldn't really understand why. Before he could ask the older male if he was okay, Seto stood, turning to head for the door.

"Wa- Kaiba where are you going?"

Seto stopped and just growled.

"I'm going for a walk, don’t bother me, don't talk to me unless it's important, and don't follow me." With that he walked out of the doors, leaving a hurt Joey behind.

"Joey?"

Said blond turned to stare at the priest and gave him a sad smile.

"Hi Seth." the priest did not like the sad tone the blond spoke in. He took a seat where Seto had once been and grabbed Joey's hands, holding them gently in his own.

"What is wrong my beloved? Has that man said something to upset you?" Joey looked down at his lap and heaved a soft sigh.

"I think... I did something ta upset him... But I don't know what." Seth nodded and stared at his beloved's face, taking in his beautiful features. His soft, honey-colored eyes, his plump lips, his long lashes.

So many things that Seth loved about him, but he could not stand seeing him so sad, like a kicked puppy. The young priest thought about what he could do to make the boy smile, anything to make him happy. He placed himself in Seto's sandals and tried to figure out what had upset the man. He woke up to find that he could contact his sibling in that far off the land they call Japong?

No, Japan, it was Japan.

Then, he went to Joey's room but did not find him there and instead he found him in Seth's room naked with- oh.

"Ah, so that is why he is upset."

Joey looked up and raised a brow, watching as Seth excused himself and headed towards the pharaoh as quickly as he could.

"My pharaoh, I may need your advice." Atemu looked up from his wine and nodded for him to continue. "You see, Joey is not Seto's lover, but it is obvious that the man has feelings for Joey, correct?" Atemu nodded, sending a quick glance at Maahad.

"And he has, in a way, accepted the fact that I care for him last night." Atemu smiled and raised a hand as if to excuse himself as he placed his wine cup down. The pharaoh then stood and walked up to Maahad, before placing his hands on his hip and laughing in victory. Maahad simply sighed and rolled his eyes.

Everyone watched in amusement and interest before the pharaoh returned to his seat and motioned with his hand for the priest to continue.

"Er... Yes well, I have placed myself in the idiot's sandals and I realized that he may have been hurt."

"I thought you did not give a camel's droppings about his feelings?" Atemu asked, raising a brow as he stared at his cousin in confusion. Seth scoffed and turned his head away, glaring at the wall with hatred.

"I do not in the slightest. You see, it's about Joey-"

"Ah I see, it makes sense." The pharaoh responded, nodding to himself. Atemu smiled at his cousin gently, feeling happiness flow through him at the thought of his once heartless family member archiving true happiness. But soon, Atemu's smile faltered, as he sent his cousin a concerned look. "Seth, have you asked Joey if he is yours now or was it just regular, heat of the moment consensual sex?"

Seth opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, he really hasn't thought about it.

"You did not confess, am I correct?" Atemu asked, raising a brow. Seth shook his head and took a quick glance at the blond who was eating grapes and talking with Mana. Atemu heaved a sigh and placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "I am afraid to say that you may have to tell him. That or confess to him. Think about it, my dear cousin."

Seth sighed and rubbed the back of his head, placing his free hand on his hip. "But what should I do about that bulbous pig?"

"I shall have you know that I have almost completed the potion for him to be able to speak with us"

The two turned to Maahad, who had a disappointed and defeated look on his face. The young priest smirked, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wonderful, now I shall be able to tell him who Joey truly belongs to," Seth said smugly.

"If I may?"

The three turned to see Isis standing there, a saddened expression on her normally gentle face.

"Isis? What is wrong? Have you had a vision of some sort?" Atemu asked. The young priestess sighed and raised a hand to gently touch her necklace.

"Is it bad Isis?" Seth asked in concern, she always made that face when something bad has occurred.

Isis gave Seth a sad look and reached out to touch his shoulder.

"It's about Joey." Seth's eyes widen, he prayed that it was not bad, just something mild.

"Joey and Seto... Are not from our time."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seto sighed as he sat down in the garden. It was the small part of the garden, where he spent the night with Joey when he had first gotten there. The young CEO heaved a sigh in frustration, he knows he shouldn't let this whole 'Joey slept with Seth' thing get to him, but it irritated him.

Joey was his own damn person, who he slept with shouldn’t mean shit to him.

But it did.

It wasn't fair.

Then again, after what he did to the blond yesterday he guessed he really drove him to it. Rubbing his forehead, the brunet growled at how emotional he was getting.

"Okay?"

Jumping a little, Seto turned to glance over his shoulder to find Mana staring at him in concern.

"Seto... Okay?" Seto couldn't help but chuckle, she reminded him of Mokuba.

Oh, how he missed his little brother.

"Yeah, I guess I am okay." He muttered, raising a brow as Mana rested on her knees next to him, smiling shyly.

"Sky... Pretty?" She asked, causing the CEO to raise a brow and looked up. The sun wasn't shining too brightly, and the breeze was nice, so he did suppose it was a '_pretty sky_' as she had said. 

"Yes, very pretty"

Mana giggled and shifted a little closer, a small blush gracing her cheeks.

"Seto pretty." The elder brunet turned to stare at her.

Did she just imply that he was Girly?

Oh.

'_Handsome_' she meant to say. Seto was about to thank her until he heard his name being called by a certain blond that was the cause of most of his problems. Turning to glance over his shoulder, he spotted the blond raising a brow at Mana being close enough to lay her head on Seto's shoulder. Seto hadn't even noticed when she had moved closer.

"What are you two doing?" He asked, staring at the closeness of the two, feeling his blood boil.

"Chatting, is there something you needed?" Seto replied, turning back to stare at the bushes that held flowers in them. Joey sighed and called Mana, saying something that the brunet couldn't understand. The younger girl nodded and stood, smiling brightly at Seto before heading back into the palace. Joey gave Seto's back one last glance, before sighing and heading back towards the palace. Once they were gone, the CEO sighed once more and glanced down, he wished he wasn't so cold to the blond, but he couldn't help it.

Do you know what it's like to like someone so intensely, that you just can't bear to think about them being with another person?

It's tough.

<You sir, sound like a lovesick fool>

Seto raised a brow, it was as if some odd voice were speaking to him. '_No, it's just the sun and heat getting to me that is all._' He thought. Sighing once again he glanced towards the small pond with water Lilies floating there innocently.

<Is it odd to say that I can hear your every thought?>

Blinking, Seto looked around to see if anyone was trying to fuck with him. Because now, he was so not in the mood. Now that he thought about it the voice sounded like that of a teenage woman, deep and soft but assertive like an older sister or a kind mother.

<I thank you for the compliment.>

'_Alright._' Seto thought, glaring at the poor lilies on the pond's surface. 'W_hat sort of nonsense is this? I am NOT in the mood to be fucked with._'

<I would have responded the same way, but unfortunately I'm just as confused as you are.>

'_And you are?_' The CEO asked. He thought that if he was going crazy out of loneliness, then he might as well have a decent conversation.

<My name is Apollo. And whom might you be sir?>

_'Apollo? As in the Greek god Apollo?'_

<Yes, I am not him though. My father was not the brightest man in the world when it came to naming his children.>

'_So you have siblings I suppose?_'

<Yes. A little brother. I will do anything for him, even give my life or assassinate anyone in my path for him. He is my only family.>

_'Just like Mokuba and I, I suppose._'

<But enough about me. Let us move onto you, it appears that you have a lover of sorts who does not care for you?>

_'It is a long story...'_

<I have time.>

_'Well...'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey laid in his bed and tried to think straight, he had just spoken to Seth, who gave him such a heartbroken look. The priest had told him that he knew Seto and himself were not from their time, and it killed the priest to see that he may not be able to stay with the blond for all eternity as he had hoped. He had also talked with the brunet, about, last night's events...

"It was just consensual right?" Joey said to no one in particular. "I mean... It's not like... We confessed to each other..."

Then why was it that his heart hurt so much to think about it?

Why did his stomach knot itself so uncomfortably, and he had the need to just crawl into a hole and die? Joey sighed and covered his eyes with his arm.

Maybe a nap will make him feel better.

_"Does he really care? Does he really? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!"_

Seto's words echoed in his mind. They were from last night before he had headed off to Seth's chambers. Why had he run to Seth? Was it because he was hurt? Was it because he needed to see the other? Or...

<Was it simply because you wanted a Seto that would love and cherish you, rather than scream and insult you?>

It felt as if a voice similar to his own had spoken to him. Only it sounded much wiser and calmer than him. Joey just sighed, did Seth even like him? Or love him at all? Did he really care?

_"DO YOU THINK ALL I WANT TO DO IS JUST FUCK YOU? TO JUST USE YOU AND LEAVE? WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE YOU SEE THAT I DON'T WANT NOR NEED ANYONE ELSE!"_

Joey frowned, what did Seto mean by that? He knew he wasn't the brightest person in the world, and when it came to other people's feelings he was never really the best at '_sensing the atmosphere_' but maybe, just maybe...

<He has feelings for you...>

Again with that voice, what was up with that? It was as if someone was trying to consult him or give him advice. Then again he wouldn't be surprised if he were going crazy from the heat.

<An overused excuse.>

Joey shook his head and sat up, turning his body so that his feet were now touching the ground.

_"You're a useless, stupid and oblivious mutt... Why won't you fucking open your eyes already?"_

Joey growled and stood, gripping his hair tightly in frustration.

"Just what da hell do ya mean by dat Kaiba?!" Joey tried his hardest not to rip his own hair out, calming himself down. Heaving a sigh, the blond stood and made his way towards a bowl of water near the other side of the room. Once there, he cupped water with his palms and splashed some on his face, gently rubbing his cheeks and eyes gently, enjoying the cool water on his hot skin.

He repeated the process until he felt himself calm down, once done, Joey lifted his head and heaved another sigh, placing one hand on the side of the table for support while he used his free hand to run it through his hair.

He closed his eyes and felt a strange nostalgic feeling, it was odd for him, for he had no memory of ever doing something like that before. Opening his eyes slowly, he glanced down at his reflection with a sadden expression. But something was off, his reflection was staring at him in slight shock, before blinking twice and tilting its head in interest. Joey's eyes widened, he hadn't made it do that, he hadn't even moved in the slightest. Suddenly, his reflection lifted his hand and waved at him. The young blond furrowed his eyebrows and hesitantly, waved back. His reflection smiled softly and nodded, lowering his hand before opening his mouth to say something.

'_Interesting..._'

It was the same voice that was speaking to him in his head. Joey just studied the look-alike on the other side. The blond had darker hair than his own, almost a blondish-reddish color, and it was a tad bit longer. His eyes were honey-colored with a mix of crimson, making them look intense.

The look-alike held a face that made him look mature beyond his years and wiser than any Wiseman he knew, he was wearing white robes, and a key-shaped necklace that with a gem that matched his eye color. The look-alike tilted his head to the other side and chuckled softly.

'_This is indeed a strange phenomenon, do you not think so as well?_' He asked, in a voice much like his own but much softer, and less rough.

Joey blinked, before taking a deep breath and screaming at the top of his lungs, soon passing out.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Opening his eyes slowly, Joey gazed up to something beautiful and blue. Blinking a few times, Joey sat up to find himself face to face with Seto.

"Kaiba? Wha-"

"Oh thank the gods!" Seto exclaimed, suddenly engulfing the blond in a tight embrace. "I thought I had lost you before I could apologize..." Seto mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. Luckily Joey hadn't heard him properly and just lifted his hands to return the hug, burying his face in the older male's shoulder and tried not to cry.

"Joey... Puppy what happened? I was walking down the halls near your room when I heard you scream..." Joey just held on harder, he didn't know why but he just really wanted to be held right now. The two stayed like that for a while, being content with just holding each other in silence, Seto was just about to ask again until Joey spoke softly.

"I'm sorry..."

Seto pulled back to stare at the blond in the eyes, studying his every feature. "What are you apologizing for, pup?" The CEO asked softly, reaching to cup the blond's cheeks softly in his hands, enjoying the feeling of the younger teen's skin on his fingertips.

"I'm sorry... That I did something ta upset ya... I know we're not on good terms but... I still don't like ta upset or disappoint people..." Seto heaved a sigh and leaned in, placing his forehead on Joey's as he stared at the blond through half lid eyes.

"You don't have to apologize to me, pup, I was... Being irrational over something silly..." The two just sat there for a few moments in silence, before Joey noticed he was on his own bed in his own chambers.

"Now then." Seto began, leaning back and staring at him seriously. "Mind telling me what made you scream like that?"

Joey looked down at his hands, before looking back towards the bowl that was on the floor, with water spilled all over the place.

"Well don't laugh at me 'Kay?" He began, receiving a reassuring nod from the brunet, he bit his bottom lip before continuing. "I was washing my face since It was hot and all, I mean we're in friggen Egypt for Ra's sake, and when I looked up my reflection looked at me weird." Seto blinked in confusion, raising a brow at the blond male in questioning.

"Your reflection... Looked at you weird?"

Joey nodded rapidly before pointing at the bowl. "In the water! It was me but it looked nothing like me! His hair was longer and darker like it was reddish but still blond in ways-"

"Strawberry blond?"

"Yeah! And his eyes had a shade of carmson-"

"crimson puppy, the color is crimson."

"-crimson, and his voice was softer and sexier than mines-"

"Mine, pup, the word is mine not mines, that's not proper grammar."

"-and he had dis weird necklace thingy dat was in da shape of a key dat-"

"Whoa whoa wait, in the shape of a key?"

Joey stopped explaining and nodded. The CEO stared at him and began to think, before turning back to the blond with a serious expression and asking.

“Did he say anything in particular to you?"

Pursing his lips, Joey thought deeply about it, before sending Seto a nod. "He said 'this is indeed a strange phanomoniom-"

"Phenomenon."

"-phenomenon, do you not think so as well?' And that's da last thing I heard before I fainted."

Seto nodded and began to think, what if this is an odd sign? Could this be their only chance at getting that key to return home?

"We'll have to talk with that priest bastard to see what we can do about it." He stood and walked towards the door, assuming Joey was following him.

Once he got to the doors, he glanced behind him, only to find the blond still sitting upon his bed, glancing down sadly at his lap.

"Pup? What's wrong?" Seto asked in concern, moving away from the door and walking to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Joey bit his bottom lip nervously, before looking up at the CEO. "I... I just... Don't want ta see Seth... At the moment…"

Seto couldn't help but raised a brow at the blond in confusion. "And why is that pup?" Gazing into the CEO's deep blue eyes, the young teen heaved a small sigh in defeat and turned his head to look away.

"It's just... We... Talked about what happened..." Seto grunted to show that he was still listening, wanting him to continue. The younger of the two couldn't help but blush intensely when he grunted he sounded almost like the priest did the night they did the deed.

"It was... C-consensual... It meant nothing special and i-it was a heat of the moment sorta thing... Just somethin’ two consenting parties did when in the mood for it…" Seto raised a brow, something was off and he knew it.

"Oh? Then why don't you want to see him? Do you feel ashamed or something?" Joey turn to stare at him straight in the eyes and blushed harder, before laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head.

"A-ah! Well ya see, da thing is Kaiba... It was my first time and all so... Yeah... I kinda feel embarrassed, ‘cause I thought it would lead ta something, ya know, special between us? But it just means that, well anyone can do that sort of thing and, he was helping me through some stuff, so it’s all just heat of the moment, you know?"

"..."

"Kaiba?"

"..."

"... You ok?"

"..."

"... O-oi what's with da murderous look?"

"..."

"Um-"

"Are you trying to tell me that that _ASSHOLE_, took your virginity, made it seemed as though he was madly in love with you and wanted you more than anything else in this life, got to hold you for the night, and had the _audacity_ to say that it was just heat of the moment consensual sex, and nothing more?"

"Well when ya put it dat way it sounds bad, like he was only after sex or something."

"..."

"Seto?"

"I'm going to _murder_ him."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Atemu watched as his cousin sat in a corner, willowing in his self-pity.

"My Pharaoh, he has been like this for hours on end, shall I talk to him?" Isis asked. Seth had finally chatted with Joey about their night of lovemaking.

But the brunet was too much of a chicken to confess to the blond and became a blushing mess, he had tried hard to control his feelings and ended up blurting out "the sex was just consensual Joey, so please do not worry about anything. A geat of the moment between us, I helped you out when you were sad, however if you are ever in need of release you know where my chambers are." Once he realized what he had just said, he quickly turned tail and ran off towards Maahad's office.

He has been there ever since.

Atemu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "This simply cannot get any worse." Just as those words left the pharaoh's lips, stomping, yelling and roaring could be heard from outside of the doors.

"Oh gods, why must you punish me so!" The pharaoh groaned as the doors burst open, revealing an extremely angry Seto.

_{"You asshole!"}_ He shouted, although no one could understand him. He stomped his way towards a shocked Seth and grabbed him by the front of his blue and gold tunic top. {"_Who the hell do you think you are?! How can you just hurt my pup, MY PUPPY!! And tell him his first time was just consensual sex?! He's mine, MINE! Don't you dare get near him again or so help me I'll kill you!"}_

Not understanding anything except the word 'mine' Seth just scoffed and turned his head away. The CEO blinked, before growling loudly and punching Seth square in the face. The sound echoed throughout the room as the priest flew a few feet from his look-alike. He groaned and held his cheek tightly in his hand, while the other priests could do nothing but watch in shock and horror.

Luckily, Atem snapped out of it and quickly grabbed the brunet who was ready to pounce his cousin by the wrist, pulling him towards the door.

"No no no! Bad look-alike bad! Very bad! Heel! Heel! On second thought here!" He shoved a bag full of gold coins into the look-alike's hands and began to shove him out of the room, dispute his tiny size. "Go! Have fun or something! Just leave! Shoo! Shoo! You harmful creature!" With that, he gave the taller male one last, rough shove and slammed the doors shut.

Isis finally shook her head and ran towards her fellow priest, panic, and concern written on her soft features as she checked him over.

"By the gods Seth! Do you find yourself alright?!"

Said priest let out a growl and held his bruised cheek tighter, hoping the pressure would ease the pain.

"That bulbous pig! Who does he think he is?!" The priest hissed, as Isis tried to check the wound. Maahad shook his head and glared at the brunet who sat on the ground.

"You were lucky that the pharaoh thought quickly and got him out of here before he could harm you even more!" He scolded, all the while Atem heaved a sigh and walked towards his cousin, rubbing his own forehead in annoyance.

"I believe." He began, before kneeling down to the taller male's level and staring at him straight in the eyes. "That Joey must have told him about your lovemaking being nothing more than consensual, and he did not take it all too well. If anything, from the way he sounded when he was yelling at you, he must have not liked what you have done." Seth just scoffed and winced as Isis applied some cool salve on his wound, while Maahad brought bandages.

"Could it be." Atem began, before lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in order to stop a migraine from happening. "That Joey was, perhaps, a virgin when you took him?"

The silence coming from Seth was enough to make the three understand the reason for Seto's outburst. Maahad and Atemu just sighed, that is, until Isis growled and grabbed the front of her fellow priest's blue and gold tunic top, just as Seto had, with the same amount of rage.

"AND YOU TOLD HIM IT WAS _CONSENSUAL_?!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Seto walked around the palace halls holding the fat bag of gold coins in his hands. As he was about to make a sharp turn, someone had bumped into him, causing the CEO to stumble on his feet and catch himself before he fell.

"I'm so sorry about dat! I'm looking for Seto!"

Glancing down, the brunet saw the blond rubbing his nose. "Pup, what are you doing?"

Upon hearing his voice, Joey glanced up and frowned. "Se-Kaiba! I've been looking for ya! Where da hell did ya go?" Seto just smirked and lifted a hand to pat the blond's head softly.

"I had gone to teach that asshole a lesson and instead." He lifted up the small pouch full of gold to show Joey. "The pharaoh gave me this. Why don't I take you out to celebrate?" Joey stared at the older male in confusion, before tilting his head to the side. "Eh?"

Seto chuckled and walked past him, trying to hide the small smirk that made its way towards his lips. "Don't do that pup, I don't want to be placed in jail for murder if anyone other than myself sees you being that adorable." The blond teen just blinked and raised a brow in confusion, turning on his heels to quickly follow the tall brunet.

"Hey wait for me! Where are we going?" As the two walked out of the palace, Joey reached out and took Seto's hand in his own out of habit, as he was lead down the grand stairs and to the market place. Seto couldn't help but give a small smile, as the two walked down quietly, hand in hand.

As they made it down the stairs and into the dusty roads leading towards the marketplace, the young blond began to him in thought.

"Ya know, I wonder if I could meet Cleopatra," Joey mumbled as he looked at one of the stands selling jewelry. Seto couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, turning to gaze at the blond from the corner of his eye.

"It would be nice, but considering the era we are in and seeing as Atem is pharaoh and still young, she might not be crowned pharaoh for a few more decades up ahead." Joey stopped in his tracks and began to think about it even more.

"So, we won't meet her until she's born or will we be gone by then? She was cool, and king tut was cool too. They were probably the best Egyptians ever." 

Seto chuckled and gently pulled the blond to walk with him towards a fruit stand, happy to see the intrigue and slight knowledge he showed when it came to Egyptian history.

"Well to be honest Cleopatra was not Egyptian, not entirely." The brunet told him, as he began to pick out the best of the best of fruits, and some bread to accompany it. With Joey's help, he was able to pay for them properly. The two then began to walk back towards the palace, but instead of heading back inside, the brunet took Joey around to the side.

"Oi, where are we going Kaiba?" He asked, looking around in confusion. He had never been there before, he was mostly inside following Mana, Isis or Seth around. Seto just smirked and continued walking, gripping the younger male's hand tightly.

"You shall see soon." After twenty minutes of walking, they had finally reached their destination, and Joey's jaw dropped to the ground. Seto had led him to a beautiful place on the other side of the palace, where there stood a beautiful, small oasis, with glistening clean water in the center and beautiful palm trees surrounding it. He could not stop himself from cooing at the cute looking baby palm trees growing next to the larger ones. There were also some pretty flowers of some sort, sitting around the edges of the water.

"Kaiba... This is amazing... How did you-"

"I... Like to walk around at night to make sure the place is secure. It helps calm me down a little and helps me get my sleep." Seto explained, sitting down next to a rock with a flat surface and taking out the fruits from a small sack he had bought. Joey raised a brow and went to sit down next to him.

"Why? I'm sure the palace is secure, I mean we _are_ friends with the pharaoh after all."

Seto scoffed and continued. "Please, I trust none of these buffoons. I used to walk near Mokuba's room when we were younger, just to make sure he was safe. I only do it for the people I love most."

Joey tilted his head to the side cutely, raising a brow at him in confusion.

"Then... Who do you love enough to walk around da palace at night here in Egypt?" Seto had finished unpacking and froze at the question. Should he tell him? How would he react? Seto had been walking about at night near Joey's room to make sure he was alright, when he felt safe enough to leave the blond alone he would then head off to bed. Instead of telling the truth, the CEO had gone with a lie.

"No one really, I just did it out of habit. Now eat your fruit." Joey just rolled his eyes and took an apple, taking a bite out of it with a small hum of appreciation.

"So, how was Cleopatra not Egyptian?" He asked out of curiosity.

Seto couldn't help but give a small smile, he secretly liked teaching Joey things.

"Well, you see pup." He began, leaning his back on a palm tree that was right behind him. "Along with King Tut, no figure is more famously associated with ancient Egypt than Cleopatra the VII. But while she was born in Alexandria, Cleopatra was actually part of a long line of Greek Macedonians originally descended, from Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Great's most trusted lieutenants." Joey nodded and leaned in with interest. With a smile, the elder teen lifted a hand and gently patted the blond's head with affection.

"The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt from 323 to 30 B.C., and most of its leaders remained largely Greek in their culture and sensibilities. In fact, Cleopatra was famous for being one of the first members of the Ptolemaic dynasty to actually speak the Egyptian language."

"So then, Egypt was ruled by a girl who wasn't really Egyptian, and she was awesome?" Joey asked, finishing off his apple. Seto nodded but then scoffed.

"I personally don't like her, she was the last pharaoh to rule Egypt and she brought it to ruin." The CEO was never fond of anyone who could bring down anything so powerful, sure he brought down companies upon companies down himself but that was different. He did it for personal gain, she did it out of sheer stupidity and carelessness. Rolling his eyes at the thought of said female pharaoh, the brunet picked up the bread he had bought and ripped it in half for him and Joey.

"Also contrary to former belief, Cleopatra was not really beautiful. She was said to be short, fat and ugly. And there were also rumors of her owning the first vibrator in history, some sort of jar holding live buzzing bees inside." Joey, who had taken a bite of his bread gasped.

"But she was so awesome!" The CEO shook his head at the blond and scoffed once more.

"You can think of her as awesome all you want pup, it won't change my opinion of her. Now, Nefertiti, _she_ was a woman worthy of my respect."

Joey scoffed and took a huge bite of his bread. "You're so mean to poor Cleopatra..." He mumbled to himself, as Seto rolled his eyes again and ripped off a bit of bread before eating it.

"Nefertiti was a strong, independent woman who was able to take over the throne after her husband, the pharaoh, died. Cleopatra was a seductress, while Nefertiti was a leader. I would choose a ruler over a slut any day." Joey could not help but gasp at the brunet, gazing at him with wide eyes as though he had just said something so scandalous.

"You're so mean Kaiba!" Seto just smirked and took another bite of his bread.

"Please Wheeler, I only speak the truth. Like I've said before, Cleopatra brought Egypt to ruins while Nefertiti saved it."

"But her name has boobies in it, Cleopatra doesn't. I know for a fact dat her name comes from da Greek words meaning "fame" and "father." And dat it's also a European butterfly related to brimstone, with wings that vary from a pale cream ta a yellow-orange!"

Seto was taken aback at the blond's rebuttal, blinking in surprise at his random knowledge.

"Yes... That is correct... But... How do you know that?"

Joey just rolled his eyes and took another bite of his bread, finishing it off. "Didn't ya realize dat I like Cleopatra? Of _course_, I know a thing or two about her. That and I wanted ta name my future daughter Cleopatra."

Seto smiled at the thought, it would be nice to see Joey holding a newborn in his arms. He did have that family aura to him, no doubt would he make a great father.

"I'm still surprised you know that pup."

"I'm not a dog, Kaiba!"

"Seto."

"Nyeh?"

Seto chuckled and reached over to hold the younger teen's hand in his larger ones, staring at him softly as he smiled.

"You can call me Seto." Joey blinked a few times, staying completely silent, before breaking out into a big and bright smile.

"Really?!" When the brunet nodded, he found himself tackled to the ground and receiving a cuddle. "Awesome! I'm glad you're finally warmin' up ta me Kai- Seto." Seto smiled and snaked his arms around Joey's small waist, pulling him closer and moving his lips to the other's ears, blowing into it before whispering in a husky and sexy voice.

"Joey." This caused the younger to blush a deep red, he struggled to get up but the brunet just held onto him tighter.

Joey had struggled for a few more minutes until he just gave up and snuggled closer to the brunet's neck. As the two stayed there a while, the sun began to set, leaving the sky to glow a beautiful hue of orange with red and yellow. The blond finally decided to move slowly this time, shifting a bit so that his face was now closer to Seto's. The two male's stared into each other's eyes, reading the emotions hidden within them. Joey saw sadness, betrayal, hurt, happiness and an emotion he couldn't really understand. While Seto saw confusion, wanting, hurt and uncertainty. The young CEO raised a hand to cup Joey's soft cheeks, watching as the blond blushed slightly and nuzzled onto his palm.

His eyes now held a great deal of sadness and hurt in them.

'_Have I... Caused that hurt and sadness?_' The brunet thought to himself, feeling guilty and angry at himself. '_Puppy, I promise that I will never again hurt you._' The brunet rubbed his thumb softly on the younger boy's cheek, loving the feel of it and the soft sigh that escaped the blond's lips.

"Seto..." Joey spoke in a dreamlike tone. Seto unconsciously leaned in, as Joey did the same.

"Joey..."

With that one whisper, Seto finally closed the gap between their lips. The two fit perfectly as if they were made for each other. Joey wrapped his arms around Seto's neck as he moved closer, sitting on the brunet's lap. Seto tightened his hold on Joey's waist, lifting up one hand to hold it behind the blond's head as he tangled his fingers in the soft blond hairs. The two just kissed, moving their lips in a rhythm that seemed to match each of their styles and personality. Seto was dominating and experienced while Joey was all over the place and exciting.

The two felt the electricity run through their bodies as they tried to move closer, mashing their bodies until they were one. Seto ran his tongue on Joey's lower lip, asking for permission. He closed his mouth and denied it, smirking to himself as he imagined the brunet whimpering and begging to let him in. Not accepting being denied by his beloved Seto moved the hand around the blond's waist ever so slightly and gave him a sharp smack on his arse.

This caused Joey to squeak in surprise, allowing Seto to dive in and shove his tongue down Joey's throat. At first, Joey struggled a bit, but after some coxing the blond began to shyly play back with the brunet. Within time a soft kiss turned passionate, and soon Seto was on top of Joey, one hand on Joey's arse as the other was buried deep in his hair. Joey ran his fingers through Seto's soft and silky brown locks, massaging it gently and enjoying the moans he was receiving. The two just went at it, until the air became a bitch and was needed. The two broke apart, a string of saliva connecting them as they huffed and panted. Seto took in the blond before him, plump red and swollen lips, half lid eyes filled with need and pleasure, rosy red cheeks with a sweaty face and all the while he was breathing heavily.

Seto groaned inwardly as he laid his head on Joey's shoulder, trying to calm his raging hormones that were bouncing off the walls. Joey just furrowed his brows, confused and unsatisfied.

The two just laid there, taking in what just happened and enjoying the embrace and atmosphere. After a few more minutes of blissful silence, the blond was the first to break the silence by lifting his hand and smacking Seto hard in the back of his head.

"Ow!" The taller male growled as he lifted himself onto his knees, rubbing his aching head. He turned to Joey, he sent him a deep growl. "Why the hell did you do that for?!" Joey just huffed and sat up, pushing away from the brunet angrily.

"Ya smacked my ass ya asshole! That hurt like a bitch!"

Upon hearing his excuse, Seto couldn't help but glare at him. "You weren't complaining when we were making out!" Joey glared back and crossed his arms.

"Ya had your tongue down my throat, how could I?!"

At this, the CEO smirked and leaned in closer. "Would you prefer it if my tongue were shoved down somewhere else?" Upon hearing the brunet, Joey stared at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Seto leaned in and blew gently into Joey's ears, before whispering in a husky tone. "I could shove my tongue down some other place. I could make it pleasurable, I could shove it deep down your a-"

"Gah! Ya pervert get off me!" Joey screeched trying hard to push the brunet off, ignoring the blood that rushed to his cheeks as he thought about it.

"Hmmm how about we have a little fun, Joey?" Seto suggested, before standing up, picking Joey up by the waist and throwing him over his shoulder. Joey couldn't help but let out a small squeak, that sounded totally manly by the way.

"Hey! Put me down ya jerk!" He screeched, holding onto the brunet as best as he could in order not to fall. The CEO chuckled and began to walk forward, finding the younger male's panic adorable. "Wait! Where are ya- Nyeek!" Suddenly, the blond was engulfed by cold water.

Swimming up, Joey popped his head out of the water and coughed, turning his head to glare at the laughing brunet.

"Ya asshole! Why did ya do that for?!" Once the CEO had stopped laughing, he turned towards the blond and proceeded to take off his prized trench coat. "I just thought it would be high time for you to cool down and simply enjoy the moment." Before Joey could question him, Seto had walked into the water, swimming towards the blond, his eyes clouded with want and desire as he stalked the younger male like a dragon to its pray.

"Now then." He mumbled in a husky tone, deepening his voice. Joey shivered and tried to back away a little. Watching his attempts to sneak away, the brunet smirked and grabbed Joey by the upper arm, pulling him towards his chest as he whispered into the blond's ear softly. "Let's have a little fun shall we?" At his actions, Joey turned to face the male with a raised brow.

"Seto what are ya- NYEEK! YA PERVERT!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Atem tried hard to push away that very tempting need for smacking his cousin hard in the back of his head. He loved his cousin dearly, really, he did. But at the moment, the idiot priest was just becoming an annoyance.

"Gods! Why do you hate me so? Have I done something wrong? Or is this my punishment for making a bet with Maahad?!" He asked, being grateful that Seth was too busy pacing to actually pay attention to the pharaoh.

Currently, the two were outside the palace, waiting for Seto and Joey to return. The two had been looking for Joey to explain the situation and Seth was about to apologize to the younger teen, only to find that Joey had left the palace with Seto. Of course, this was not happy news for the priest, and Atem had to keep an eye out for him in case anything happened to his beautiful palace.

"Will you just calm your busy body down for a moment, Seth?" Atem muttered with a groan, lifting a hand to rub his tired eyes.

The Pharaoh growled, his patience wearing thin. Seth gritted his teeth and turned to the pharaoh, trying to contain his rage. "How could I possibly calm down when Joey is out there with that wretched beast!"

Atem crossed his arms and scrunched up his nose, annoyed with his cousin and his attitude.

"Oh please, had you told the boy of your true feelings rather than ruin your chances, none of this would have happened!"

Seth stomped his way over to his cousin and grabbed him by the front of his tunic, something no one would’ve thought he'd do.

Pharaoh title be damned!

"You think that it is all simple don't you, my pharaoh?" He began, glaring harder at the bored expression Atem held. "It is not as simple as you think it is! Why can't you understand that?!" Atem scoffed and slapped Seth's hands off of him.

He tried to straighten the wrinkles off the front of his tunic, no longer finding himself pitying his cousin. He believed it was simple, there was nothing difficult about dealing with love and relationships, one needed to just speak up and all was said and done.

You win some or you lose some.

"Oh please, do not act like a woman. For Ra's sake, it cannot be that hard to confess one's love for another! I could do it with less effort!" Seth just rolled his eyes and turned his back towards the king, his ignorance in love was a pain.

"You just do not understand. It is harder to do such a thing when your heart is on the line." Seth told him with a huff. Atem just shrugged his shoulders, not fully understanding what his cousin meant.

"Your heart can always heal."

"But the scars will stay."

"A lesson to be learn, then. Just don't look nor think about the scars." The pharaoh began, shrugging his shoulders once more. The priest mumbled, frowning at the pharaoh's logic.

"But it's not so simple my prince. You just don't understand." The priest mumbled, frowning at the pharaoh's logic.

"I don't need to understand to know that it is simple enough to walk up to a person you fancy, and simply say _'I fancy you, become mine!'_"

"You cannot force someone to be yours, my prince," Seth mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Of course I can, I am pharaoh after all. Who would reject me?" Atem spoke, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Seth sighed, his cousin was just too stubborn. But that stubbornness is what made him such a great pharaoh, he was rough with his words but undoubtedly held everyone's best interest at heart.

However, his cousin was still too young to take on the throne as a wise king. His acts were foolish, he was naive at times and too stubborn to accept certain things. They were fortunate enough that the young prince did not take advantage of his power as pharaoh, something that everyone admired about him. Seth heaved a saddened sigh and began to pace once again, only this time much slower.

"May the Gods have mercy on you, my prince."

Upon hearing him mumble, Atem raised a brow at his cousin.

"How so Seth?"

Seth turned to the pharaoh with sad eyes, placing a hand on the smaller male's shoulder.

"It is as your father, my uncle, had taught us both. A king may be powerful, almost as powerful as the Gods themselves, but be warned that every wrong thing that is said with thy tongue, is also powerful and shall be punished in some form or other by the highest authority there is." Glancing up at the skies, the priest pursed his lips and continued. "RA will not look too kindly upon your opinions my prince."

Atem just sighed and gently took Seth's hand off his shoulder.

"It is true I may have acted rather... Heartless, upon my opinion. But I will stick by what I have said, and should RA punish me in some form or other then so be it. I will take it as pharaoh since I am in the wrong." He expressed, not realizing the power his own words held.

Seth nodded and looked to the floor, a small smile gracing his face as he stood a few inches away from the pharaoh.

"That is all I ask of you.“ Seth acknowledged. ”I apologize as well, for I did not see that there is no way for you to understand unless it happens. But at the moment please try to."

Atem, hearing his cousin's plea, nodded in his own acknowledgment.

"I will try."

As the two made peace, Atem convinced his cousin to quit his infuriating pacing and just stand to wait for Joey and Seto to return.

"I am sure they are fine," Atem told him, trying to be supportive.

He wanted to know what it was like, truly he did. He wanted to know how it felt to love, to want to be with your beloved so badly that you feel as if you cannot breathe without them by your side. He wanted to hold and be held, to kiss and be kissed, to cuddle and be cuddled and to love and be loved all without someone seeing him as the pharaoh of Egypt.

He didn't want them to love the pharaoh, he wanted them to love Atem.

Oh, how he wanted to oh so badly know how it felt, to be in love with the one you simply cannot have. He wanted to understand truly he did, but he could not. He just hoped that at some point or other the Gods will allow him to feel that way, hopefully, they will send an angel for him to care for. And should that day come, he will be there. He will take it all, the feelings of love, the feelings of safety, trust, honesty, he will take the good with the bad as well, and do what Seth had said. He would put his heart on the line just to know what it is like. He will take the rejection, the hate, the loss, and even the heartbreak. But alas not once has he fallen in love, so all he could do for his cousin at the moment is be supportive and have patience.

As the two stood there in awkward silence, a familiar voice rang out.

"I can't believe ya just did that!" Turning their heads upward, the two saw a soaking wet Joey followed by a Seto, who was also soaking wet. Seto just smirked and smacked Joey's arse hard, enjoying the loud noise that rang out as the blond squeaked.

"Ya asshole! That hurt!" The brunet let out a chuckle as he sent the blond a smug look and walked up ahead, his nose turned up in the air in victory.

"You know you liked it pup"

"How many times do I have ta tell ya I'm not a- oh, hi Seth."

Seto turned his head upward, to find that it was indeed the priest. The CEO let out a small growl, and stood back, standing in front of Joey as he crossed his arms over his chest.

{"What, you want me to kick your ass some more you pathetic excuse for a priest?"}

Seth gave him an unamused look, while Atem looked confused.

"Seto they can't understand a word ya say," Joey muttered, rolling his eyes as he turned towards the two tan men and smiled. "Hey guys, what's going on?" Atem smiled at Joey and walked forward, opening his arms to greet his friend.

"We were looking for you Joey, only to find that you were nowhere to be found. You see we need to speak with you about... What happened between you and Seth." Joey blinked for a bit, before nodding in understanding.

"Oh if this is about how we slept together." Seto glared at Joey for a second. "Then it's alright, I'm not really mad about it." Atem's and Seth's jaws dropped to the floor, for they had been certain that the blond was angry about the whole situation.

"Y-you're not?" Atem asked as he stared at the taller male in disbelief, Joey just smiled and placed his hands at the back of his head, resting it on his open palms.

"Of course not! Why would I be?"

Atem wanted to slap a bitch right then and there, was he trying to say that Seth, Seto and everyone else in the palace was freaking out over nothing?

"You forgive too easily Joey." Atem blurted out by accident. Joey just laughed, nodding his head at his friend.

"So I've been told."

Atem turned towards his cousin, who, at the moment, was having a glaring contest with Seto. Seto said something to the priest, causing Atemu to raise a brow in confusion.

"What is he saying, Joey?" He asked, wanting to know.

"Seto Said that Seth is a pathetic fool." Joey translated, not really knowing what his words will do. Upon hearing the blond translating, the priest growled and replied.

"Seth said that you are a wretched beast," Seto growled and responded.

"Seto said he will mount your head on his chamber walls."

"Seth said that if you try that he'll cut off your penis."

"Seto said that you'd just be intimidated by him."

"Seth said it will be eaten by alligators."

"Seto said he will suffocate you in your sleep."

"Seth said he will shove a spear up your ass."

Atem's eye began to twitch as the whole argument went on. He wasn't irritated at Joey, no. He was irritated at the two brunets, causing such a ruckus and fighting all the time, seriously they never have any consideration about those around them who are developing a migraine because of their bickering. Suddenly, Seto punched Seth hard with an uppercut to his chin. Seth's head snapped back before he slowly turned it down to face his look-alike with a gaze that said he was ready to fight with all of his might. Seth then smacked Seto hard on the back of his head with the millennium rod. Seto's head snapped downwards, as he repeated Seth's gesture and faced him.

The two then got close to each other's face and growled, ready to rip each other's throat out. Atem stepped in front of the two and pushed them back.

"I swear to Ra, Seth, that if you two fight again I will have you both kicked out of my palace for the night and you will have fun sleeping in the desert sands!" Joey repeated the words to Seto, who complied and backed away from Seth.

The priest sighed and did the same. Suddenly, Mana came running out of the palace halls with a bright smile on her face.

"Dinner is ready! And Maahad said that his special drink for Seto is also ready!" The priest and pharaoh nodded at the young apprentice, walking into the palace, but not before Seth stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

"Joey?"

Said blond looked up for a moment, before nodding and walking toward the priest. Walking alongside him the two began to talk, Joey telling Seth that it was alright as the priest just begged for forgiveness, telling the younger that he should have been more careful with his words and he never intended to hurt the blond.

Seto just rolled his eyes and followed. You may be thinking, 'Seto what are you doing why aren't you doing anything!' Oh, but what you don't understand is that Seto had a plan. He will claim Joey if it's the last thing he did. He will show that ignorant priest just who Joey truly belonged to. He will not yield to the likes of his past self, surely there has to be someone he could use to distract the priest from getting all of Joey's attention.

As the three of them made it to where dinner was being held, Joey sat down with Seto at his right and Seth at his left as usual. Suddenly Seth handed Joey a cup of wine to give to Seto, the blond stared down at the cup in suspicion but handed it to Seto. Without thinking much about it, Seto drank away at the wine.

"How is it?"

Joey asked, still curious about what it was that Seth had made him hand over to the CEO. The brunet simply shrugged, swirling the goblet with the win in his hands."It tastes like the finest wine money can afford, but it has a small hint of something ironic." The brunet explained, swirling the last bit around before finishing it off. Joey wanted to ask for a bit, wanting to try it, but the brunet had already finished every single drop.

"I am guessing you already finished the drink, correct?" Turning the two to see Maahad standing next to Seto, with a kind smile on his face. It took Joey a while until everything clicked in his mind.

"Oh, I get it, so dis means Seto can understand what you can say now, right?" Maahad nodded, chuckling at the bright expression on the blond male's face. They turned to Seto only to find him gone, as though he had vanished into thin air. Looking around they finally found him, having an argument with Seth.

"Idiotic priest!-"

"Moronic peasant!-"

"I will slit your throat open!-"

"I shall punch you in the ear!-"

Joey facepalmed, before growling as the two started yet another food fight.

"Grrr Ra damn it! Just fuck me Sideways I am done with da pair of ya!" Joey screeched, Seto and Seth both stopped their arguing and smirked.

"That could be arranged." Joey squeaked and ran out the large doors, hoping to get as far away from the two brunets as possible.

"Don't come near me ya perverts!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Dinner had ended and Joey was now laying in bed, pouting. He just wanted to leave now, he missed his sister, he missed his home, he missed his burgers and he missed his friends-

"OH, MY RA I FORGOT ABOUT YUGI!" The blond screeched, burying his face into his hands, how could he have been such an idiot. Here was in a palace being taken care of while Yugi was out there probably hurt or something, how could he have been so selfish.

A knock was heard, and soon one of his chamber doors opened.

"Pup?" Looking up the blond spotted Seto poking his head in, and looking concerned. Joey just sighed and fell back on his bed.

"What do ya want, Kaiba."

Seto just walked in, closing the door behind him. He made his way towards the blond's bed and sat himself down on the edge, arms and legs crossed as he gazed down at the younger male.

"Kaiba, if you're here to mess with me I swear I'll-" Joey's words were cut off as Seto pressed his lips to them.

He was shocked at first, but within a few minutes, he relaxed and gently kissed back. Slowly, the CEO gently moved on top of him, moving his hands to cup Joey's cheeks, caressing them softly. They parted, as Joey looked up at him with fear in his eyes.

"S-Seto."

"shhh pup." Seto kissed his forehead sweetly, before looking him in the eyes and giving the blond a soft smile. "I promise I'll be gentle." Seto moved to nip and lick the blond's neck as the younger whimpered. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it with Seto, it was just that he didn't think two nights in a row with two different guys was healthy.

Seriously, he was starting to feel like a whore.

Or you know. Mai Valentine.

Same thing really.

He was still a little salty with her, especially since she claimed they were friends but still shunned him out whenever they crossed paths.

"Puppy," Seto whispered, cuddling himself at the crook of Joey's neck. "I want to show you how I feel" he mumbled.

_'And take back what is rightfully mine.'_

Joey couldn't help but inwardly sigh, maybe just one night couldn't be bad.

Right?

Seto raised a hand and began to remove Joey's tunic, the blond in return blushed and covered his face.

Seto sighed and raised his free hand to Joey's face, caressing his soft skin with his fingers. "Don't hide from me, puppy. I want to see what you look like as I make love to you." Joey blushed at the words that the brunet had whispered and tried to look away.

"Jeez, you're so corny." He muttered, moaning as Seto began to grind his hips along with the blond.

"Corny? Would you prefer it if I whispered dirty words into your ear and take you roughly instead?"

Oh? This was different. Seth would whisper sweet nothings to him and take him gently.

Seto smirked and leaned in closer, nipping and licking the shell of Joey's ear, earning a moan from the blond.

"Would you rather I tell you how I'm going to satisfy you? How I'm going to pleasure you?" Joey shivered and bit his bottom lip, not used to this sort of treatment yet loving it all the same.

"First, I'm going to lick and mark every single inch of your body." He whispered, then leaned down to bite the blond's neck roughly, causing Joey to whimper in pleasure as Seto moved his hand down to throw his tunic to the ground.

"Next, I'm going to make you mine Joey. I'm going to make you scream my name out so loud that all of Egypt will hear." The CEO then removed his own tunic and trench coat and moved forward to kiss Joey roughly. His hand traveled down and grabbed Joey's cock in his hand, causing the younger to mewl as Seto began to stroke him roughly.

"S-Seto!"

The brunet smirked as he moved his head to run his tongue on Joey's left nipple. Licking it, he bit it gently, enjoying the withering blond beneath him.

"I'm going to ram myself into you, Joey, and I'm going to make you hard so that you know who you belong to."

Joey began to pant as Seto moved his hand faster, spreading the pre-cum all over his now fully hardened member.

"S-Seto! Please!" The brunet chuckled and stopped stroking the boy, loving how the blond whined at him.

"You're enjoying this aren't you puppy?" Seto teased, lifting three fingers to Joey's mouth. "Suck." He demanded, causing the blond to stare at the older male with uncertainty, before he obeyed and began to lick his fingers, sucking and coating them as much as he could. Once Seto thought they were wet enough, he pulled them out of Joey's mouth, a string of saliva connecting them, as he turned the blond over so that he was on his hands and knees.

"I'm placing the first finger in, alright pup?" Joey whimpered as he felt Seto slowly insert the first digit inside, the CEO began to pump it in and out, leaning over towards the blond. "I love seeing you in this position Joey, I knew doggy style would always suit you."

Despite the current situation, Joey couldn't help but growl.

"I-I'm not a dog Kaib- ah!"

Seto began to fasten his pace before he inserted another finger and pumped it faster.

"You love it don't you pup, you just love it that my fingers are going in and out of you so fast and rough." Joey couldn't help but moan loudly, closing his eyes as he felt the brunet's long fingers inside him.

"Seto."

The brunet licked his lips and began to suck and kiss Joey's back gently, leaving a noticeable mark on the lower part of his back. Let’s hope a certain someone notices and realizes that he lost.

After placing the third finger in, the brunet showed no mercy as he abused the poor blond from behind, going harder and faster, pressing against that bundle of nerves that had the blond seeing stars.

"Ah! There! Seto, please!"

The CEO smirked and stopped his motion, staying completely still.

"Nyu, Seto!" Joey whined as he began to buck his hips backward.

"What do you want Joey?" Seto asked, smirking sadistically as Joey panted and kept moving.

"Seto! Please!"

"You didn't answer my question pup. _What_ _do_ _you_ _want?_"

Joey blushed and swallowed hard, burying his face deep within his pillow in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Y-you, Seto..." Seto raised an amused brow, enjoying this more than he should.

"What was that?" He began to move his fingers in and out painfully slow, listening to the soft whimpering of Joey's voice.

"Y-you." He moved only a tad bit faster, as he leaned in and licked the shell did Joey's ear.

"Louder pup louder." He taunted, secretly excited to hear those oh-so-delicious words.

"Y-you damn it! I want you!"

"Good little pup." Seto then rammed his fingers in as deep as they would go, smirking with sick satisfaction as Joey moaned out loudly. After a few minutes of teasing Joey long enough, he removed his fingers, positioning himself at the blond's entrance. He reached out and intertwined his fingers with Joey's, giving them a soft squeeze.

"If it hurts too much just give my hand a squeeze, alright? I’ll stop immediately."

Joey nodded, biting his lip as he felt the tip of the brunet's cock teasing his entrance. With a small grunt, Seto pushed himself in, causing Joey to whimper a bit, squeezing the brunet's hand. Seto stayed still for a moment, waiting for Joey to adjust to him. After a few minutes, Joey took in a shaky breath and gave a slow nod.

"Y-you... Can move now..." The blond mumbled, burying his head into his pillow.

Seto angled himself properly, before pulling out slowly, and then thrusting in fast, hitting Joey's prostate head-on.

Joey let out a loud howl, begging for more as the brunet pushed himself as deep as he could go. He picked up the pace, pulling himself in and out of the blond, drinking in all the sweet and soft noises that Joey made.

"Seto." Joey moaned, burying his head onto the pillow. Seto couldn't help but move faster, smirking when the blond arched his back to him, moaning Seto's name out over and over again.

Seto gripped Joey's hips and turned him onto his side, lifting the blond's leg with one hand. Joey bit his lip, trying not to scream out loud from all the pleasure he was receiving.

"Say my name pup, I want to hear it." The brunet grunted, licking and kissing Joey's neck. The blond teen gasped as Seto grabbed his cock and began to pump him, all the while he was thrusting in deeply.

"Aaah! S-Seto!"

Smiling sadistically, Seto licked the blond's shoulder blade, whispering in a seductive and deep tone. "Louder pup."

"A-ahh! Hnnn! Seto!"

"Who do you belong to, pup?"

When Joey didn't respond and just bit his lip, Seto growled and gave one hard thrust, causing Joey to scream out loud. "I asked, Who do you belong to?"

"You! Seto!"

"Louder!"

"S-Seto!"

"_LOUDER_!"

"SETO! Ngh- _Ah!_"

Seto, being satisfied, growled and continued his hard thrusting, going fast and rough until he felt himself reaching his climax.

"J-Joey!" He Roared, as Joey gasped, calling out the brunet's name as he came.

Feeling Joey's walls tighten around him, Seto gave a few more thrusts before coming inside.

Taking a deep breath, the two collapsed onto the bed, panting and sweating with evidence of their lovemaking. Joey shuddered at the feel of Seto pulling out of him, making a soft ‘pop’ sound. He could feel the cum run down his inner thigh, no doubt he’d be feeling sticky in the morning.

Feeling satisfied, Seto lifted himself up a bit and shifted to lay on his side. He reached out and pulled the blond closer to him, catching his breath a little faster than the blond. Seto played gently with Joey's soft blond locks, the younger male had fallen asleep just a few seconds after their little activity, leaving Seto to bask in the afterglow alone.

Joey always knew how to change everything in Seto. He took the ideas that Seto had and changed them into something completely different. He was someone Seto never would have thought he’d go after, but also something the brunet knew he would not allow to be taken away from him. He thought he was better off alone until Joey came along.

"You are my beginning." The brunet whispered, leaning over to kiss Joey's cheek softly.

"The best thing that has ever waltz into my life. Who knew that I could fall in love with someone so amazing. Pup, I'm so happy right now, just having you near me at this moment brings me to such a peace I never knew existed." And for once, Seto allowed himself to be happy, just for once.

Wrapping his arms around Joey's waist, he cuddled the blond close to him. "I need you, pup. Although I never admitted it, I do. I think... That my little infatuation... Turned into something deeper..." When Joey stirred in his sleep, he turned to face Seto and cuddled into the brunet's chest. "I think I'm in love with you, Joey."

Seto smiled, as he allowed it to sink in. This was not like him, but he was too happy at the moment to give a damn. He pecked the blond's lips softly, before allowing himself to drift off to sleep.

"I love you... Joseph Wheeler."


	9. It's Yugi!

  
As the sun rose the next morning, shining its rays at the palace, blue eyes opened and began to search the room, wondering for a moment if they were home or not.

Seto grunted and was about to get up until a soft sigh alerted him of someone else on the bed. Looking down he saw blond hair, and soon flashes of the night before rushed back into his head. Smiling, Seto turned to his side and held Joey tighter, cuddling into that soft blond hair he had grown to love so much over the years. Nothing could ruin this moment.

STOMP

STOMP

STOMP

I guess he spoke too soon. Seto sighed and moved slowly, sitting up while making sure not to wake up his blond puppy. He stretched his arms, flexing his muscles before moving to run a hand through his messy hair, preparing himself for the worst. At that moment the doors to Joey's bedchamber burst open, and there stood an angry-looking Seth.

A dangerous vibe surrounded him, as he glared at the brunet before him. By his side stood Atem, with his hands on his small waist and a tired look on his face. The priest growled and stormed his way inside, with the pharaoh following behind at a much calmer pace. Seto nodded at Atem, before turning his attention to the priest and smirking.

Not liking the smug look on Seto's face, the priest wrapped his hands around the brunet's neck, hating how the other didn't even flinch, he just sat there, the smug look never leaving his features.

"Well good morning to you too, bastard." Seto greeted calmly, causing the priest to growl at him, fighting with every fiber of his being to not tighten the grip he had on the look-alike's neck.

"Seth, why must I always have to be here in case you decide to use my palace for as a battleground?" Atem grumbled, glaring at his cousin with annoyance. Just as Seth was about to open his mouth to speak, Joey stirred and turned over, going back to his peaceful slumber.

It was then that the three realized that the blond was also in the room.

Seeing his blond beloved laying next to another man, and one whom he hated at that, caused his blood to boil with rage and jealousy. Gritting his teeth tightly, the young priest turned his gaze to the look-alike and growled lowly.

"You used him to get to me, didn't you?" Upon hearing this, the young CEO slapped Seth's hands off of him and grabbed the priests by the front of his gold and blue tunic top.

"I did no such thing, I’m not you." The two would have murdered each other right then and there, had Atem not coughed and gotten their complete attention.

"Listen, unless you two wish for me to have you both beheaded, I suggest we leave a hot bath running and allow Joey to rest." The two brunets thought about it, before sighing and agreeing with the pharaoh.

"You," Atem said as he pointed at Seto. "You will take a bath and meet us downstairs for breakfast, there is much to discuss with you. And _you!_" He growled, turning to smack Seth in the back of his head. "You will come down peacefully and not start another argument, or so help me RA I will have your manhood cut off, for _both_ of you! That way no one will be able to sleep with Joey then!"

Gripping Seth by the back of his tunic top, the angry pharaoh dragged his cousin out the door, ignoring the protests the taller male threw at him.

"I will see you downstairs. And I _WILL_ have a normal breakfast with NO fighting what so ever! Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" He spoke with a demanding tone as any leader should. This impressed the CEO, as he nodded once at the pharaoh, trying to hold back a snicker as he watched the pharaoh drag a disgruntled priest out the door.

Once they were out of sight, Seto heaved a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a few minutes of sitting there in silence, he decided to stand and stretch a bit before heading off to the bathhouse, but as he moved he heard a soft whimper come from beside him. Turning he saw the blond cuddling closer to his pillow, the blankets draped around his waist with love bits on his shoulders and neck.

Seto couldn't help but smile softly, as he leaned over to place a soft kiss on Joey's cheek, before nuzzling it with adoration and affection.

"My Joey."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The guards were running around looking for the pharaoh, checking every room in the palace in search of the great king. After being informed of his whereabouts, they burst through the doors of the dining hall and looked around for the young prince.

"What the hell?" Joey mumbled to himself in confusion, as he spotted the two panicked guards at the entryway. Joey had woken up a while ago and after taking his bath he had limped his way to meet everyone down for breakfast, after greeting everyone and sitting in between a smug-looking Seto and a jealous looking Seth, he ignored the two and went on to eat his breakfast in peace.

Or so he thought.

The guards smiled in relief as they ran up to the pharaoh, quickly kneeling down in respect to his majesty.

"My pharaoh! We seem to have a problem that needs your answering." Atem raised a brow in confusion, before placing down the apple he was about to enjoy.

"What is it?" He asked seriously, and a little irritated.

So much for a peaceful breakfast.

One of the guards raised his head but quickly glanced down as to not stare at the pharaoh in the eyes.

"Well, there is a young man at the palace doors. He is with two females but he looks like you. One of the two females says that he claims to know you, my prince." Atem heaved a heavy sigh and stood.

"I shall go to meet him. Where have you led this boy?" The guards both stood and bowed quickly, pointing a hand towards the entryway of the dining hall.

"We have led him to the throne room my pharaoh, but it is odd that he looks like you, only his skin is fair and his eyes seem different from your own." Atem nodded, curious about this mysterious boy that looks like him, as he began to walk towards the doors.

"Wait!"

Turning to glance over his shoulder, the prince watched as Joey limped his way towards him in a small panic, followed by a serious looking Seto helping him move. "Let us go with you! It might be my friend!" Atem remembered the two mentioning their lost friend and allowed it, allowing the guards to lead the way.

The walk to the throne room was short, but to Joey, it seemed to take forever. What if this was Yugi? Could it be? It would save them the trouble of having to look for the younger male.

As the three walked they finally stopped in front of two, large golden doors with hieroglyphs encrypted on the door.

"Bird, bird, sun-disk, water, eye, eye, bird? How did they even read this?" Joey muttered, leaning against Seto for support as the doors slowly opened.

"He is over there my pharaoh." One of the guards announced as he pointed into the room before bowing and moving out of the way, allowing the three to walk in.

The room was large and majestic, nothing he hasn't seen before. While looking around and taking in the room's beauty, Joey bumped into Atem's back, causing the pain he was feeling in his backside to shoot up his spine, as he hissed in pain.

"Ow! Hey, what's-" he was cut off by the look of pure shock on Atem's face, something Joey has never seen on his features. During his time staying at the palace, he has only seen a small handful of expressions on the pharaoh's face, but this one was new. Atem was usually serious, angry, happy, teasing or smug, but not once has he ever shown signs of other emotions. Raising a brow at the shorter male, Joey glanced up and saw who he wanted to see since he got to Egypt.

"Yugi!"

The smaller male had his back to everyone, chatting with two small girls about RA knows what. But upon hearing his name, Yugi turned to meet crimson eyes staring at him intensely.

"Uh, ye-" before he could finish his sentence, he was tackled to the floor in a bear hug. His blond friend cried with happiness as he stood and picked up his tiny friend, despite the small pain he felt after certain activities the night before.

"Yug! I'm so glad you're alright!" He exclaimed, tears of joy and relief prickling the edge of his eyes.

Yugi couldn't help but smile brightly at his friend, lifting his own arms to wrap them around him in a tight embrace.

"Of course! I'm glad you're okay too!" Joey placed Yugi down, and the two began to chat as if none of this ever happened.

"Well, now that Mutou is here, we can look for that key and get home." Turning, Yugi's amethyst eyes met cold blue ones. And sadly, he had to admit he missed seeing a familiar face, even if that face hated him.

"Kaiba? You're here too?"

Said brunet crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, looking like he did before they had gotten to Egypt. Yugi just smiled sweetly at the tall brunet and was about to say something when they heard a cough, as though someone was annoyingly trying to capture their attention. Turning once again, amethyst met crimson again as Atem placed his best smile and walked up to Yugi.

"Greetings, I am Atem, welcome to-"

"Yeah, I don't understand a word he says and I don't care. Let's just get home." Yugi interrupted, as he turned his back to him with a small frown on his face. Atem raised a brow in concern and turned to Joey, hoping to understand what the young male had said to him.

"Did I... Say something wrong? What did he say?"

The blond teen scratched his cheek nervously and excused himself quickly, bowing down to the pharaoh before turning away. The teen turned to his best friend and blinked in curiosity, as he saw the young boy talking with the two young girls that had come with him to the palace.

"Hey, Yug?" Hearing his name, the young teen turned and smiled up at his taller friend.

"Yeah, Joey?"

Leaning down, he stared at the young girls with curious eyes. "Who are they?" He asked. With a smile, Yugi moved out of the way to introduce the two females.

"This is Hersilia." He began, as he pointed to a small girl who looked around the age of 13. She had bright, light crimson red eyes and wavy, shoulder-length light auburn hair, her skin was fair and she had a kind smile to her features. The young girl was wearing an outfit similar to Mana, only it was white, showing off her shoulders as a small light red slash was wrapped around her waist, Hersilia bowed in respect and waved as Joey waved back.

"And this is Juno." Yugi said with a nervous chuckle, as he introduced the girl standing next to Hersilia. Juno was about an inch and a half smaller than Hersilia. She had shoulder-length, wavy light brown hair that reached past her shoulderblades tied up in a ponytail, with light green eyes that had a small hint of lavender in them, her skin was a tad bit darker than Hersilia but not so much as Atem. She wore the same thing as Hersilia only in a darker brown with a green slash around her waist.

While Hersilia had a kind smile on, Juno was pouting in slight annoyance. Joey waved to Juno and the smaller girl just smiled back and nodded.

"They helped me out while I was lost. Actually now that I think about it I should be pissed, but I'm just too happy to see you're alright to do much." Joey was taken aback by what his normally quiet friend had said but shrugged it off.

"I'm so sorry man! I wanted to go look for you badly but it was hard ta communicate with them, and then when I _COULD_ talk with them, Seto thought it would be funny ta start a friggen fight with the priest!" Yugi just chuckled and patted his friend on the back, sending him a smile.

"It's alright Joey. You, I forgive. Kaiba, on the other hand, is going to get punched in the kneecaps."

Joey let out a laugh and grabbed his friend in a friendly headlock, just like old times.

"Thanks, pal." He thanked, messing around with his friend in a headlock like he's always done. As he did, he felt a hand on his arm, as though trying to pry his arms off of Yugi. Looking up, he met with a concerned-looking Hersilia and a protective looking Juno. The shorter of the two male smiled, tapping his friend's arm lightly. Once Joey let go of Yugi, the younger male began to explain to both of them that the headlock was just something friends did where he came from. Soon, the two nodded in understanding and shot the blond a bright smile. The blond raised a brow and scratched the back of his head.

"Uh, hey Yug?"

"Yes, Joey?" Yugi asked, turning his attention towards his friend.

"I can tell you're not speaking Egyptian, so how da hell are ya communicating with them?" Yugi suddenly gave his friend a devious smile, one that sent a shiver down the blond's spine.

"You remember when I took Latin in school, but everyone said it was a waste of time and that I'll never use it?"

As Joey nodded, Yugi snickered to himself. "Juno and Hersilia are from Rome, and they speak Latin. Waste of time my ass." The blond teen blinked, before letting out a laugh.

"I guess you're right, so they also speak Egyptian?" Yugi nodded and motioned for the two to speak.

Hersilia nodded shyly, before turning to Joey and sending him a bright smile. "Hello, you are today?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, their Egyptian isn't the best but it helps so don't laugh alright?" Yugi explained, patting Hersilia on the head, letting her know she did a good job.

Joey couldn't stop himself from blushing, his eyes sparkling brightly as he gazed at the young female before him. "Awww they're so tiny and cute!"

Hersilia pouted, as Juno just crossed her arms.

"Who's tiny and cute, pup?" Turning, the four of them saw Seto with a confused Atem following behind.

"Where the hell have you two been while I was talking with Yugi?" Joey asked, raising a brow.

The CEO just pointed a thumb towards Atem, resting his free hand on his hip. "I was explaining to the pharaoh about Yugi and how we know him. He asks a lot of questions." Atem shot a smile at Yugi, who just raised a brow at him in return.

"Yeah, whatever. Listen Atem can Yugi stay here at the palace?" Atem didn't hesitate for a second and nodded his head.

"Of course! Any friend of yours is welcomed here!"

The CEO scoffed and crossed his arms, muttering under his breath. "That is not the only reason you want Yugi to stay..." Atem just smiled and elbowed Seto hard in the gut, ignoring the curses that were sent his way.

"Now then." Atem began, turning to face the blond. "Does your lovely friend want anything to eat?" Joey turned to Yugi and repeated the question.

"Actually." Yugi began, smiling brightly at his friend. "That would be nice, especially since Juno and Hersilia walked me all the way here. They _are_ staying here too, right?"

Joey raised his head in thought.

"I believe." Seto began, butting into the conversation. "That the pharaoh wants YOU specifically, to stay. I'm not sure about the other two." Yugi crossed his arms and turned his head away.

"Then I think I'll just head back with Juno and Hersilia. If they can't stay I won't either." Seto would have said that his loyalty to the two girls was a bit stupid, but he didn't want to look bad in front of Joey. Said blond then turned to the pharaoh and smiled.

"Yugi said that if Hersilia and Juno can stay, he will stay." Atem smiled brightly and turned to the smaller male, getting closer to him.

"Of course! Anything he'd like."

"My, do I sense a love-struck idiot beside me?" Seto muttered, snickering only to get another elbow to his side. "Will you stop elbowing me? Seriously you have bony elbows it hurts!"

"Then you should, perhaps, shut your mouth or I shall have my guards lock it with some spears!" The two had a little glaring contest, while Joey talked with his friend.

"Alright, so he said the three of you can stay. I'll get him to give you all separate rooms." At this, Yugi immediately shook his head.

"I prefer sleeping in the same bed as Juno and Hersilia."

Joey's jaw dropped, as he stared at his friend with wide eyes. "Whoa, you got laid?" Joey announced, feeling rather proud of his best friend. Yugi smacked the blond’s arm gently, blushing to a crimson in embarrassment.

"Of course not! I'm just used to it since I got here. Besides, it's customary for roman siblings to share a bed. And since they call me big brother, that's how I'll act."

"You're just using that as an excuse."

"I'm not getting raped. It's happened once, someone snuck into the room I was staying in and almost raped me! Thanks to them I'm still a virgin, it's fun to see Juno go all roman on people and beat them up. She's small but she's evil, her dad was a Spartan general before he was killed on the battlefield." Upon hearing his friend's story, Joey couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright pal, I'll tell the pharaoh."

Yugi nodded and smiled, thanking his friend.

"Thanks, Joey."

Before Joey could turn to walk, Juno suddenly made her way up to him and touched his arm, grabbing his attention.

"What's up?" He asked as the little girl gave him a bored look.

"Food." She simply said.

"Well, you get right down to the point don't ya?" Joey turned his head towards the other two males in the room, sweat-dropping to see Atem and Seto at each other's throats.

"I'll show you-"

"Bring it on-"

"On I shall be bringing it!-"

"Pharaoh my ass, I'll cut you-"

"How dare you!-"

Joey sighed and stomped his way towards both of them, pulling them both by the ear, like an angry and disappointed mother. Seto growled but stopped moving, knowing that Joey only squeezed harder if he did try to struggle. Atem, on the other hand, clawed at the blond's hand. Never before in his life has anyone ever done such a thing to him, and it actually hurt him!

"J-Joey! Stop it this instant!" He screeched, trying not to look like a fool in front of Yugi. At the sight of the pharaoh looking so desperate, the CEO began to snicker.

"You just don't want to be humiliated in front of Yugi- Ow! Puppy I didn't mean it!"

Yugi, Hersilia, and Juno just watched from a distance, trying to hold in their giggles.

If this is what it is like at the palace, then they were sure to have a great time during their stay.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Atem watched the young, star haired boy from a distance. He rested his chin in the open palm of his left hand, watching the younger male laugh along with Joey and eat his apple.

That smile, those eyes, his beautiful skin, and amazing laugh.

Atem sighed as he continued watching, not noticing the weird look he was receiving from Mana.

"Pharaoh?" She asked, receiving a soft hum to let her know he was listening. "Who is that boy? Is he Joey's lover?" Atem chuckled and waved his free hand, as though to dismiss the silly idea.

"Of course not, why would you think such a thing?"

Seth, who had come to sit next to the pharaoh, crossed his arms and glared at the star haired boy in front of him.

"Well." Mana began, blinking in thought as she continued. "They seem awfully close, and Joey keeps wrapping his arm around the boy. Also, he's made him blush a few times."

Atem's and Seth's eyes widened, processing what Mana had said for a moment.

No.

It couldn't be.

Could it?

-Meanwhile with Joey and Yugi-

"So Yug." Joey began, swallowing his piece of bread. "How come you haven't noticed the way the pharaoh looks at you? I'm actually surprised you didn't, ya know, flirt with him or hug him and stuff."

Yugi rolled his eyes and continued to munch on his apple. "Why would I? I loved Yami, and I don't see why I should be all over Atem if I'm just going to leave soon. I'm not one who likes temporary bliss." Joey took a sip of his wine, before placing his cup down and smirking. He turned to Yugi, wiping some of the wine off the edge of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"But ya still find him attractive, right?"

Unconsciously, Yugi nodded and finished off his apple.

"Oooh, you find him sexy, huh?" Joey teased, feeling his grin grow at the potential teasing he could do.

Yugi stopped chewing to process what his friend had just asked him, before he turned to him, blushing to a crimson in embarrassment. "What?!"

Joey just laughed and wrapped an arm around Yugi's small shoulders. "Ya heard what I said, ya like Atem. You think he's hot and sexy."

Yugi blushed even more and tried to avoid his gaze. "Shut up Joey."

The blond laughed and began to poke his friend's now red cheek. "Aww come on, admit it."

"You're one to talk! What about those hickies? Are they from Seto?" This time, it was Joey's turned to blush. He scowled and gave Yugi a friendly nugie.

"Shut up, this isn't about me, it's about you wanting some Egyptian ass!"

On the other side of the table, Seth was on the verge of flipping the large, golden table over. He couldn't help his jealousy, he didn't like that some unknown boy looking like the pharaoh comes out of nowhere, and all of a sudden he had Joey's full attention! It's bad enough he was rivaling against Seto, but now this midget?

No, he refused!

A loud banging noise pulled the priest out of his raging thoughts. Turning to his left he saw an angry-looking pharaoh, pure rage, and jealousy written all over his face as he watched the two in front of him joke around and laugh. Atem couldn't take it anymore, ignoring the fact that he had scared both Mana and Seth when he stood and banged his open palms onto the table, Atem walked around to make his way towards Yugi.

Joey was too busy joking around with Yugi to notice the jealous look on Atem's face, as he marched his way over to them. As he got closer he plopped himself down next to Yugi, causing the two to look at him. Atem just smiled brightly and waved at them, hoping to start a conversation and build a bond with Yugi.

Something about that smile was off, it seemed forced, but Joey just shrugged it off.

"Why is he here?" Yugi asked, reaching for his cup of water. Joey smirked and teased the shorter male.

"Ooh, do you like that he's here? And that his sexy pharaoh ass is right next to you? Ya like dat Yug?" He whispered, snickering as Yugi blushed and almost chocked on his water, he turned and gave his best friend a glare.

"Don't say things like that! I just want to know why he's here! And why is he sitting so close to me?" Joey rolled his eyes and turned to Atem.

"Hey Atem, what's going on?"

Atem just chuckled and looked towards Yugi, a smile on his face. "I was wondering if Yugi would like to go for a walk in the gardens with me."

"Awesome! I'm sure we can-"

"Alone."

Joey closed his mouth and raised a brow at the pharaoh in confusion, the young king had sounded harsh when he had said he wanted to be with Yugi alone. He blinked a bit, before nodding and turning to his best friend with a smile.

"Atem asks if you want to go for a walk in the garden with him."

Yugi looked up and smiled. "Awesome! I'm sure Hersilia and Juno would love-"

"He wants to be with you alone."

"Then tell him to go make sweet love to himself."

Joey raised his brow again. He was sure that if he raises it, even more, it'll fall off at some point. The blond turned to the eager looking Pharaoh and gave the other a nervous laugh.

"Uh, well... Yugi said he would go but..."

Atem furrowed his eyebrows. "But?"

Joey felt bad for the guy, but he took a deep breath and nodded. "But he won't go anywhere with you alone..."

Atem placed an emotionless look on his face, staring straight at Joey and creeping him out. Suddenly, the Pharaoh smiled brightly and gave a forced laughed.

"I see! Ahaha do not worry! If he wishes to not be alone with me then so be it! I'm just going to go over there where that lonely looking corner next to Maahad is! Good day!"

With that, he stood and began to walk towards Maahad on the other side of the room, laughing cheerfully. Joey and Yugi gave each other a confused look, before looking back to where the pharaoh had gone.

"What's wrong with him?" Yugi asked, as Joey rolled his eyes and reached in for another peach.

"Uh, I dunno. Maybe it's because ya rejected the pharaoh of Egypt, and he's trying to hide it?" He said sarcastically.

Yugi just rolled his eyes and continued to eat.

Screw pharaoh of Egypt. He wanted to go back home!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"What is troubling the Pharaoh?" Isis asked, as she walked into Maahad's office, Atem was in the corner next to Seth and both were looking gloomy.

"The pharaoh is saddened by the rejection he received from the boy, and Seth is depressed at the fact that Joey is so fond of the boy. Yugi, I believe his name was?" Maahad explained, before going back to what he was doing. Isis turns to glance at the two, before shaking her head.

"I honestly wonder who is more childish, the pharaoh and Seth or the two young girls that Yugi has brought with him. I have actually grown fond of Juno."

Maahad nodded in agreement, as he sent Isis a smile. "And I, of Hersilia. I was able to communicate with them a bit and receive a sample of their hair and blood along with Yugi's, we will be able to understand them soon."

At this, the pharaoh stood and ran over to Maahad. "Please by the name of Slyfer the sky god tell me you are not bluffing, Maahad!" With a short nod from the older male, Atem smiled brightly and gave a short, un-pharaoh like dance around the room.

"He seems to have recovered fast from his little self-pity," Isis mumbled, before turning to Maahad and waving her hand around in the air, as in to dismiss the whole ordeal. "But that is not why I am here. We have an issue."

This little announcement caused the three males in the room to turn towards her, serious expression plastered upon their faces.

"Is it horrid?" Atem asked, as Seth stood and walked towards them to listen in.

"It is about Yugi, Joey, and Seto. We have danger about to strike. Powerful darkness coming to attack the palace and the pharaoh himself. But most of all the threat seeks revenge against you, Seth." Said brunet nodded, raising a hand to his chin as he thought about whom it could be trying to cause him harm.

"Did you get a good look at the threat's face, Isis?" Atem asked, Isis raised a hand to her Millennium necklace and shook her head.

"I'm afraid not my pharaoh, what I _did_ see was death. I did not see who it was, but I know for a fact that it was someone we all held dear. Had the Gods allowed me to see whom it was that was to be taken from us, I would have been able to help stop this death."

The three males looked at her in concern. Someone in the near future will die? Who could it be? And why?

As questions similar to these passed through their minds, one question stood out the most, who in the name of Horus was their threat?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Yugi sat by the pond in the pharaoh's garden, it was that one particular spot that Joey had shown him that reminded him so much of home. Ah home, how badly he wanted to head back, he missed his grandfather and the rest of the gang. He wondered how everyone was doing, if they were alright if his grandfather was safe and eating.

"It seems that the three of us have grown fond of this one particular spot."

Yugi squeaked in shock, before coughing and turning to meet icy blue eyes. "Kaiba? You come here too?"

This question caused the brunet to scoff rudely, and roll his eyes rudely at the smaller teen.

"Of course I do, Joey was the one to show me this place, and it's nice to come here every once in a while to get away from that stupid priest."

Yugi just sent him a smile, watching as Seto moved to sit on top of a large rock, crossing his arms and legs and closing his eyes.

"Joey told me about you not liking Seth, I don't see why though. With the way Joey describes him, Seth seems like such a nice guy." The CEO growled at the comment. He wasn't in the mood to hear what his puppy had told his friend about another man.

Why didn't Joey ever talk about him?

"But then again, Joey talks a lot about you too."

Seto's eyes snapped open as he glared at the younger teen, did he just read his fucking mind? Yugi raised a brow at the sudden action, wondering why the elder of the two was glaring at him so intently.

"What? Don't worry, it's not bad things if that's what you're- okay that's bs, he does say bad things about you. But only when you really make him mad. Why do you make him mad, Seto?"

Seto glared at the tri-colored teen harder, not amused with what the shorter teen had said. "Who gave you permission to call me by my given name?" Yugi just smiled at him innocently, tilting his head to the side in a cute manner.

"No one did, but I'm going to call you Seto anyways since Joey does it,"

Seto growled, clenching his fists tightly in an attempt to calm his growing irritation down. "That's because I allowed him to. You, on the other hand, don't have my permission."

Yugi just rolled his eyes at him, not fazed by his harsh tone. "Please, I'm calling you Seto whether you like it or not."

"I don't like it."

"I don't care."

"Yugi, I respect you as a duelist but so help me-"

"I'm calling you Seto because you're the reason I'm stuck in Egypt. Also, if you say anything I will tell Joey horrible things about you and use my matchmaking skills to make him get with Seth."

The young CEO was shocked for a moment before he gave the younger male the dirtiest look he could give another human being. "You wouldn't dare."

Yugi just gave him a devious smile in return, ready to challenge the CEO without hesitation. "Try me"

After a few seconds of silence as the two had a mini stare-down, the brunet heaved a defeated sigh and growled at him. "Fine! Since when are you the devious type?"

"Since I've been sucked into a portal back to Egypt 5,000 years into the past, almost sold as a slave, almost died in the desert, was almost eaten by crocodiles and hippos, almost got bitten by a snake and was almost raped." Yugi deadpanned.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Yugi then just smiled and turned to pick up a lily floating near him, smiling as he lifted it up and began to gently caress its beautiful petals. "So have you and Joey finally gotten together, Kaiba?"

Seto raised a brow at the younger male, confused at his sudden change of subject. "What happened to calling me, Seto?"

Yugi giggled and gave him an innocent smile, as though he wasn't trolling him a few seconds ago. "Oh, that? I just did that to mess with you."

"... What the hell is wrong with you?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The dining hall was loud with the sound of servants placing down their dinners and getting their drinks.

The musicians played a happy tune on their instruments, as the dancers all twirled and swished their hips to the sound of the music that echoed around the large room.

"This is so embarrassing," Joey mumbled, covering his eyes and blushing a bright red. The dancers in Egypt did not wear tops since apparently, modesty wasn't invented as of yet.

Yugi groaned loudly and nodded his head, agreeing with his friend as he kept his own eyes closed. "And during dinner too! I think I lost my appetite."

The pharaoh saw it fit to celebrate Yugi's arrival by playing music and adding some dancers for entertainment, saying that it was his job as the pharaoh of Egypt to be kind to his guests and treat them to some happy and delightful entertainment.

"He wants ya Yug, I'm telling ya he wants ya." Joey teased, chuckling in a mischievous tone under his breath. This only earned the blond a hard jab into his ribs by his best friend, causing him to grunt in surprise and slight pain.

"Shut up, Joey." Yugi hissed. trying to ignore the fact that his friend just kept snickering, ignoring his warning.

Seto, who was sitting next to Joey, just grunted and continued to enjoy his wine, his eyes were closed as he took in the rich taste of Egyptian wine he might never be able to taste in the future.

Wine this good shan't be wasted!

Juno and Hersilia just ate and watched the dancers twirl and move with expertise, being from Rome they were used to this sort of entertainment and many others of sorts. The pharaoh saw this as an oppertunity to give them the now-finished potion, so with a wave of his hand Maahad nodded and picked up the wine, ready to serve it to the girls and Yugi. When Maahad came by and offered it to them, they gladly took it with great joy and drank it as though it were water.

It wasn't every day that you get to be entertained in the palace with the pharaoh, and receive good food, wine, and entertainment as a bonus.

When the priest stood next to Yugi, he had to clear his throat to catch the younger's attention. Peeling his hands away from his eyes, the young male glanced up and smiled brightly as he saw Maahad, the original dark magician.

Maahad smiled back and gently handed him a small goblet, hoping the younger male would take it for the Pharaoh's sake. Not wanting to seem rude to the man, Yugi took the goblet in his hands and thanked him. Understanding, Maahad nodded and walked away to his usual seat next to the pharaoh.

"I don't drink wine though," Yugi mumbled to himself, as he twirled the drink in his hands.

"Just drink it Yug, that way you'll be able to speak properly with Juno and Hersilia, and maybe oh I dunno, tell the pharaoh ya don't want him? I'm getting a bit tired of having to see him glare at me from afar." His blond friend informed him, his hands still covering his eyes.

Yugi raised a brow at his friend in slight suspicion, before shrugging his shoulders and drinking it all. It was sweet, with a hint of something devious, is devious even a flavor?

Who knows, but Yugi liked it. Once he finished he licked his lips and gently placed the cup down, before sighing in relief as he saw that the dancers had finally finished their dance and were about to leave.

"Joey they're done, you can open your eyes now." Obeying his friend, Joey split his fingers a bit to peek through them just in case. Once he saw that the coast was clear, he placed his hands down and heaved a sigh in relief.

"Oh thank RA, that was pretty embarrassing." He muttered, before smiling and reaching over to eat.

Mmmm, fish, finally a type of meat for his system.

"That was amazing!" Hersilia exclaimed as she giggled, Juno snickered and nodded in agreement. "The dancers in Egypt are much different than the ones in Rome."

Yugi looked up and smiled brightly, he can finally speak with them without having to process what they were saying! And man did it take him some time, the two spoke pretty damn fast in Latin.

Joey watched as Yugi began to chat away with Juno and Hersilia, he was glad his friend was happy to finally be able to speak with them as though they spoke Japanese fluently. Seto noticed from the corner of his eye the smile Joey had, and couldn't help giving a small smile of his own. Seeing that his pup was happy, Seto decided that the blond, although strong, was a bit too skinny.

"Pup, would you like some more?" Seto asked, handing the blond his own plate. At the gesture, the young teen smiled and nodded, thanking the brunet.

"Yes please!"

As he dug in, Seto chuckled and began to pat Joey's head affectionately. But little did the two realize was the jealous and forgotten priest sitting across from them.

"First this one appears and sits in my seat, and then Seto sits on his other side compelling me to sit next to the pharaoh and far from my beloved. And not only that, but Seto is now mocking me by touching Joey's hair?! I do not approve!" Before Seth could stand up, he was gently smacked on the back of his head, causing him to grunt in surprise.

"Now now." Isis scolded, as she gripped his shoulder gently and obligating him to stay seated. "Do not cause a scene, the last thing we need is for you to start yet another food war during dinner with Seto, and not while we have a guest." She lectured. Seth just crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, they have been getting a lot of guests lately, the last thing he needs is another rival to come and ruin his chances of being with Joey.

"-And as a priest to the millennium rod you must always keep your calm and uphold an image-"

oh no, now she'll be badgering him with the priest talk all night. Seth heaved a frustrated sigh and rested his chin on the palm of his hand, this is going to take a while.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Yugi was walking around the palace looking for Hersilia and Juno, the three had decided to play hide and seek before going to bed since it was their first time in a palace and neither of them wanted to pass up the chance for a good game. As he wondered the halls, he took in the writings on the wall, understanding most since his grandfather used to be an archeologist.

As he continued walking and glancing at the walls, Yugi failed to pay attention to where he was going, and bumped into someone's hard chest, causing him to stumble a bit but luckily not fall.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." He apologized, looking up as blue eyes glared down at him. Now that he got a good look at him, he noticed he had bumped into Seto's look-alike, priest Seth.

"Oh, hello Seth-"

"Listen here, I shall say this only once do you understand?" Seth interrupted him in a dangerous tone, leaning down to glare at the shorter male harder. That was insulting on soo many levels, but Yugi just nodded once and allowed the priest to speak. "I would like for you to stay away from Joey. Far away, you have no right to waltz into the palace and suddenly claim him and his attention as your own!" At this Yugi blinked.

Was Seth jealous of him and Joey? But there WAS no him and Joey!

"What?" Was all the young teen could manage to mutter. He was too confused to actually take in the fact that the priest was jealous of him.

Him!

I mean sure many are jealous that he's the king of games, but other than that why be jealous of him? Seth growled and glared harder, slowly losing any and all patience he had for the boy.

"You heard me, you come here and all of a sudden Joey no longer pays attention to me. I want you as far away from my beloved as possible or so help me I will have you thrown in the dungeons!"

Huffing, Seth stood straight and began to stomp his way towards Maahad's office. "I will not have him taken from me!" Were his last words, before he turned a corner and disappeared from Yugi's sight.

The young, tricolored teen blinked for a few seconds, before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"What the hell just happen?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey sighed as he walked down the halls with a small goblet filled with some fresh water. He couldn't sleep so he went to get a cup of water, he couldn't make warm milk so he had to get water instead, no innuendo intended.

Rubbing his eye with his free hand, he heard grumbling up ahead. Looking up, Joey couldn't help but smile as he spotted Seth walking towards him.

"Hey Seth, what are you still doing up?" Joey asked, waving at him as said brunet looked up and froze on the spot. "What's wrong?" Joey asked as he got closer, suddenly he was hugged tightly, being held as if he would disappear at any given moment.

"I'm sorry Joey, I could not resist embracing you," Seth mumbled as he buried his face into the blond's neck.

Blinking a few times, Joey chuckled and wrapped his free arm around the priest, returning the hug as best he could. "It's alright, is something wrong? Did Atem do something stupid to Yugi?" Seth sighed as he heard Yugi's name being spoken.

"No, although he is quite fond of him." He mumbled, glaring at the ground over Joey's shoulder.

"I keep tellin' Yug’ to go after Atem but he doesn't want to. So I guess it's up to me to get them together." Joey jested, giving a light laugh.

The priest couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows in confusion, slowly letting go of Joey and staring at him deeply in his honey-colored eyes. "You... Wish to help Yugi become the pharaoh's lover?" He asked, confusion lacing his tone.

Joey nodded, determination washing over him as he thought about his thoughts with the priest. "Well yeah why wouldn't I? I mean I want Yugi to be happy, he's been my best friend since forever! Friends help each other out!"

It felt as if a weight had been lifted from Seth's shoulders. Yugi was not Joey's lover, Joey was not interested in Yugi at all, Yugi was not trying to take Joey away from him.

They were friends.

"Friends you say." He mumbled out loud, as a smile began to tug at his lips as leaned down to peck Joey's lips softly, before skipping down the empty halls happily, leaving a confused and blushing Joey behind.

As Seth turned a corner and was out of Joey's sight, the blond raised a hand to his lips and looked to where Seth had gone.

"What in the world just happened?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey had caught up with a confused Yugi and decided to help him find the two girls. After searching for what seemed to be hours, Joey and Yugi had found them, Hersilia was hiding underneath Maahad's desk in his office and Juno was hiding under the bed in Isis' healing room.

"Well, that was fun." Joey announced as he stretched his arms until he heard that satisfying 'pop' of his joints. The moon was already high up in the sky, signaling that it was later than they expected it to be.

"You said it, now we just have to head to bed," Yugi responded, using a hand to cover his yawn. Juno and Hersilia were chatting away about how great Egypt was, how much food they had eaten and how Atem had hair that seemed to defy gravity.

As they walked they seemed to have walked all the way back to the entrance of the palace. Thinking nothing of it the four continued to walk and joke around, comparing Egypt to both their homes.

That is.

Until it happened.

As the four walked, Juno spotted something that looked rather suspicious.

"Hey, what's that?" They turned their head to spot an arm in the corner, it seemed rather injured, with cuts and freshly made bruises all over it. Gasping in shock, the four began running towards it, hoping that whoever it was, was alive and well. Once they were closer, Joey and Yugi kneeled down to see if the person was alright.

"It's a girl!" Yugi exclaimed, moving closer to gently check for a pulse. "She has a pulse, but it's faint. We need to take her to Isis!" The small teen ordered, Joey and Juno nodded and moved to lift her up, until the injured girl's hand gripped Juno's neck tightly.

"Juno!" Joey cried in worry.

The girl began to move a little, before growling, glancing up at them with horror written all over her swollen and bruised face, she gasped for air as tears began to fall from her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she screamed out the name of the person, who would bring them nothing but misery after that very night.

"Amam!"

Suddenly, her hand went limp and she fainted. Hersilia asked Juno if she was alright, watching as her sister coughed and clenched her aching throat.

Yugi raised a brow and turned to his equally confused friend, wondering why had just happened. "Amam?"

Joey shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, before reaching down and gently turning her head. Suddenly, his eyes widen in shock as he gasped in horror. Her short black hair and bright green eyes were familiar.

"S-Serenity?!"


	10. The Ruby Ring

The room was quiet, not a sound could be heard save for the sound of a few jars containing herbs, salve and other such things clattering together as Isis picked them up. Her healing room was already clean and everything was tidy in case something or someone was harmed.

Isis was humming a soft tone, placing the last of her herbs up onto the shelves in a well-organized fashion. She then dusted her hands off and smiled, now she can head up to her chambers and rest for the night.

"ISIS!"

Upon hearing her name shouted out with such urgency, the woman turned her head in time to see her door slam against the wall. In came to a panicked looking Joey holding an injured girl in his arms.

"Isis! We need your help!" Being used to such urgent issues, the priestess nodded calmly and motioned for him to place her down onto the bed as she sat in a chair next to it. Joey gently laid the girl down and gazed at her with a worried expression.

Isis examined her wounds and frowned, it wasn't until she saw the girl's face that she quickly recognized her.

"Oh, she is Serenity. Who could have done such a horrible thing?" She mumbled, before standing and striding over to her shelf, picking up a few supplies before walking over to the small bed where Serenity laid.

As she worked, an exhausted-looking Yugi ran in, with Hersilia and Juno right behind him, making sure he doesn't trip on his way in.

"Is she ok?" Hersilia asked as she looked towards Joey, who only gave her a sad look and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure, but whoever did this will deal with me once Serenity is ok."

Isis began to dip a cloth into a small bowl of water she had on a small table next to the bed, before lifting up the girl's arm and gently cleaning off the wounds. "This may take a while, but I will have her patched up in no time. It is late, you must all head to your chambers for a good night's rest, we will deal with everything else in the morning."

Before they could protest, Isis gave them all a stern look. "I will hear no excuses, now head on to bed or so help you RA I will punish you to no end."

The four, frightened by the stern look on Isis's usually calm face, swallowed in unison and nodded before they all bolted out of the room and headed towards their chambers. Isis watched as they disappeared from sight, and soon turned back to Serenity, sighing sadly.

"Who could have done this?" She whispered, as she placed down Serenity's arm gently and lifted a hand to caress her necklace.

"Why do I fear, that the worse is yet to come?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey awoke that morning with a feeling of unease as he quickly sat up and removed his sheets off of him. Getting ready and finishing his morning routine, the blond soon exited his room and headed towards Isis's healing room. He eagerly needed to know if Serenity was ok, or if she was awake at the very least.

Upon making a sharp turn, he bumped into something small, more like someone for that matter. "Oh RA I'm so sorry!" He quickly apologized, leaning down and offering his hand.

"It is alright Joey," Juno replied, as she took the hand that was offered to her and stood, dusting herself off before turning to look up at him. "Are you headed towards Isis's healing chambers?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Joey nodded and looked down towards the ground sadly, he was worried to the bone for the young female.

"I was hoping to see if Serenity was awake..." The blond mumbled, pouting slightly to himself. Juno heaved a soft sigh and placed a hand on Joey's arm, giving him a small, comforting pat.

"Well I was just there, Isis has given me strict orders to tell you that we must all head down to eat breakfast, and she will soon tell us when it is ok for us to visit the girl." Joey would have protested, but he knew full well that this was a battle he wasn't going to win.

Sighing heavily, he nodded in defeat and smiled, Juno just smiled in return and nodded. "Good, now let us dine! I am famished!" The blond couldn't help but chuckle at her actions and followed her towards the dining area.

Soon he'll be able to see Serenity, and soon he will be able to protect the poor girl better.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As soon as Joey sat down, Seth and Seto appeared out of nowhere and resumed their normal seating plan, with Seth on his left and Seto on his right. The two immediately went to glare at each other, silently giving each other threats and cursing under their breaths as they ate.

Joey at the moment though, could not bring himself to care, as he was far to busy worrying about the safety of his friend. Heaving a sigh, the young blond glanced down at the table, frown in place. He wondered if she would get through her injuries, or if she was already gone.

Seth and Seto heard Joey sigh once again and tore their eyes away from each other, glancing down to see the sad expression Joey wore and frowned in unison. The blond hasn't even made a move to reach out and eat.

"What's wrong, puppy?" Seto asked gently, petting Joey's head softly in an effort to comfort him.

"Yes, is something the matter?" Seth asked, gently grabbing Joey's hand with his own and caressing it softly.

Joey looked towards both men and sighed for the third time in a row. "Well, ya see, last night I helped Yug’ find Hersilia and Juno since they were playing hide an’ seek. Once we found ‘em, we headed to our rooms for a good night's rest. But as we made our way there, Juno saw a hand in da corner. We went to check it out, and as it turns out it was actually Serenity's hand, but she was hurt so badly and covered in bruises."

Seto frowned and raised a brow in confusion. "Serenity?" He asked, hoping it wasn't the blond's sister, for he knew what the blond would do to anyone that harmed his sister.

"Silence Seto! Now is not the time for your pointless blabbering! Now please continue, Joey my beloved." Seth said, smiling at Joey and ignoring the dirty look Seto sent his way.

The blond just nodded and continued. "When we tried to move her she grabbed Juno by the throat and began crying, she just shouted 'Amam' before fainting. I took her to Isis's healing room last night, but now I don't now if she's ok or not."

Seth nodded and began to take in all the information, Seto seemed to do the same, soon the two sighed in unison and shook their heads. They seemed to be doing that a lot recently.

"I think I should explain what I know," Seth mumbled, looking down at the table with serious expression plastered on his face. Joey and Seto both turned to the priest and waited for him to continue, as said brunet looked up at them both and sat up straight. "Yesterday Isis received a vision. She explained that it was about you, Yugi and Seto. It appears that we have a danger that is about to strike, a powerful darkness coming to attack the palace and the pharaoh himself." Seto turned away from the priest and growled lowly under his breath, turning to glare at the table before him.

Great, something was coming to harm his puppy. Why can't they ever just stay out of danger? He blamed the economy, it was always the economy's fault. Seth sighed once again and looked down sadly, gently caressing Joey's hand that was still in his.

"But most of all the threat seeks revenge against me. I do not know who he or she is but I will not let them hurt you or your friends, Joey, that I promise you."

Seto rolled his eyes and glared at Seth, wishing he could just punch his face in. The priest then held a sadden expression and continued.

"Isis also said that... She saw someone's death. She did not see who it was but apparently she knew for a fact that it was someone we all held dear." At hearing this, Joey's eyes widen and he looked down at the table, wondering if maybe, just maybe, it was Serenity.

But would she be alright?

Seto saw how Joey looked like he was about to cry, with his pained expression and tears threatening to escape. Seeing this made him angry, no one made his pup cry.

"Stupid pathetic priest." He mumbled under his breath, he thought it better to insult the bastard under his breath and try to control his anger rather than start an all-out brawl again, the last thing he needed was to upset his puppy even more. sadly, his insult did not go unnoticed, apparently, Seth had heard this and was not please, he growled and glared at the CEO with hatred.

"Excuse me? What was that?" Seto scoffed and cleared his throat, before turning his head to look towards his look-alike, all the while smirking at him.

"I said, stupid. Pathetic. Priest."

Seth growled once again and glared harder at the brunet before him, gently letting go of Joey's hand and clenching his fists.

"Why you disgusting pig!"

It was Seto's turn to growl, he also stood and began to glare at the priest. "Oh, a disgusting pig am I?"

Seth also stood and moved closer to him, scrunching up his nose as if he smelt something disgusting. "Yes. Truly a horrible, pathetic, disgusting, useless pig."

Seto gave him an emotionless look, before turning to pick up a mango, he then grabbed a knife and sliced and sliced it in half, he then placed the knife down and held one half in each hand before turning back to Seth, giving him a smirk before smashing the mango onto the priest's face, slapping both his cheeks hard.

"Oh RA not again." Joey groaned as he buried his face in his hands. Sure enough, Seto and Seth had begun a fruit fight, throwing things and anything else they could find at each other.

To make matter's worse, Juno was helping! She kept handing Seth fruit and then going to give Seto some more wine. That sneaky little-

"Why are they so damn immature?" The blond mumbled to himself, as he stood, getting ready to stop the fight.

On the bright side, the two had successfully made Joey forget what he was sad about in the first place. But that didn't make him forget that he was pissed off at them for wasting precious food.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After breakfast, Atem had not only scolded the two brunets, but also ordered both of them to clean the dining hall, and that neither was to leave until the place was spotless again. Yugi and Juno had gone to the bathroom, so Joey decided to hang out with Hersilia for a bit, to try and get to know her a little more.

He had begun to enjoy being with her and Juno, the two were funny and easygoing, they complimented each other well what with Juno being a bit airheaded and devious and Hersilia being sweet and the smarter of the two.

Currently, Joey and Hersilia were walking around the palace, having a nice conversation about how Atem would look if he were a girl or if he suddenly had the voice of a mouse.

"Personally," Joey said as he placed a hand on his chin and thought about it. "I think he would look the same, only difference would be the fact that he'd have large, pointy breasts and fewer muscles."

Hersilia giggled at the odd image and nodded in agreement.

For a while, the two walked in comfortable silence, enjoy the walk and each other's company. Until the blond decided to ask her a question, one that's been on his mind since he met them a few days ago.

"So Hersilia." He began, smiling down at the adorable girl walking next to him. "Where's your family? Aren't they ganna be worried about you and such?" The young girl frowned a bit and looked down sadly, slowing down her walking as she heaved a sadden sigh.

"No, they won't be worried. You see, I do not really have a family, I was orphaned at 5 years of age. I had to fend for myself and find food and shelter."

Hearing this, Joey felt bad for asking, he didn't know she was orphaned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." He apologized, looking down at his feet in shame. Hersilia just shook her head and smiled up at him.

"It is alright, you were just curious."

With a small chuckle, she began to tell him her story. "Juno herself is an orphan, we met when she suddenly jumped off a roof and asked me if I was hungry, without waiting for an answer she suddenly shoved a piece of bread at me. I did not think much of it and began to eat, but soon an angry merchant came running after Juno. I was frozen with fear but Juno threw a rock in his face and ran off grabbing my hand. Since then, we've been together, we became sisters and tried our best to survive."

Joey smiled at the little story, to him Juno did seem like the type to go around and cause trouble, and he's noticed that she was super protective over the people she takes in as a family. Recently she claimed Joey and Seto her family, and although Seto wouldn't admit it out loud, it was pretty obvious that he was quite fond of the two younger females girls.

Hersilia also smiled softly at the fond memories and continued. "Juno is really good at sneaking and talking her way out of anything, I'm good at counting money and dancing, so together we were able to collect enough money and hop on the first boat heading straight to Egypt. We learned what we could to make a new life here. We had plans of opening a shop and selling things, but then we met Yugi and here we are now."

Joey was about to ask Hersilia another question when he heard someone calling his name. Turning to look over his shoulder, the two-spotted Mana running towards them with her usual bright smile in place. She stopped in front of them and bowed respectfully, before smiling and pointing in the direction she came from. "I am so glad I have found you, Isis has told me to tell you that Serenity is up and well. You may go see her now if you wish."

Joey and Hersilia gave each other a knowing glance and smiled in unison, they thanked Mana and quickly ran their way towards Isis's healing room eagerly.

As they opened the door to walk in, they saw Juno and Yugi speaking with a now bandaged Serenity. Smiling softly and giving a sigh of relief, Joey walking in, Hersilia walking beside him as the others looked up towards them in surprise. "Hey there Serenity, I'm so glad you're feeling okay!" Joey greeted, giving Serenity a soft smile.

The girl stared at him in shock, before glancing down at her lap, playing with her fingers as she tried to cover the blush on her cheeks. "I... I did not know that you spoke Egyptian, master."

Juno raised a brow in confusion and turned to Joey with a questioning look on her face. "Master?" She asked, causing the blond to blush slightly, as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Ah well, I had Seth buy her from some guards who were trying to sell her off. I didn't want her to get hurt, and I named her Serenity. As for my Egyptian, Maahad made a potion so that I can communicate with everyone."

Serenity smiled brightly and nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. That is good then."

Yugi smiled and turned towards the girl. "So what's your real name? Joey said he named you Serenity, but now that he can understand you, you can finally tell him."

The girl nodded and turned towards Joey, giving him a bright smile. "My real name is Clefia. I'm sorry for running away so suddenly before, master." Joey just waved it off and smiled at her.

"It's alright I don't mind, what I wanna know is what happened to ya, ya came all injured to the palace. Did someone do this to ya?"

Clefia looked down at her hands with a sad expression and sighed. "I should probably start at the beginning." She began, as she sat up straight and tried to give them a serious look, before continuing. "When I first ran away from the palace, I was too ashamed to head back and face you, for fear of being punished. I had not meant to hurt you, but I couldn't bring myself to come back. So I decided to go see my father." The other four nodded, letting her know that they were listening.

"I headed to the place where we first met at the oasis, where our sheep usually drank water." Joey smiled at the memory and nodded for her to continue, as he brought two chairs for him and Hersilia to sit down. "As I snuck around to look for him, I heard him talking to his friends. My mother had passed away some time ago, and my father had taken up drinking and gambling. He was talking with his friends, telling them how glad he was to be rid of me, happy that he sold me into slavery. One less mouth to feed. Hearing that coming from him, the only living family I had left, I broke down and began to cry my eyes out."

Clefia frowned and gritted her teeth, holding into her wrapped up hands, and bringing it to her chest, hugging them tightly. "I ran off again, planning on heading back towards the palace and apologizing until a tall man in a cloak grabbed me. He began to brutally beat me and told me only his name until I passed out, dropping me off at the entrance of the palace. That's the last thing I remember."

Everyone around her frowned, who could do such a horrible thing to someone who hasn't done anyone any wrong? Joey inhaled a deep breath and turned to Clefia, giving her a soft smile. "Thanks for telling us Clefia, we really appreciate it. Now get some rest alright? I'll have someone bring you something to eat in a while."

After saying their goodbyes, Joey, Juno, Hersilia, and Yugi all walked down the halls of the palace towards the dining area, walking in silence as each of them was occupied with their own thoughts.

"Knowing Seto, he's probably still cleaning up that mess." Joey suddenly mumbled, shaking his head at the supposedly nineteen-year-old CEO.

Yugi couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he heard his friend. "I knew that he and Seth didn't really get along, but I didn't think they'd start a food fight!"

Everyone laughed and began to joke around, trying to lighten up the mood a little after hearing what Clefia had been through. They can't be sad now, they had to look on the bright side of things! Even if there was none they still had to try.

For Clefia's sake.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey had explained to Seto, Seth, Atem, and the others about the information he received, upon hearing the news, Isis had sighed and reached for her Millenium Necklace, touching it gently with her fingertips. Once Joey was done explaining, the air around them became pretty tense. No one said a word as they all stood there, each in deep thought about what should be done next.

"I believe." The pharaoh began, clearing his throat and catching everyone's full attention. "That this calls for an emergency meeting. I want all my priests in the throne room immediately." That being said, he turned around and began to walk in the direction of his throne room.

Thinking quickly, Joey ran in front of the pharaoh and gave him a pleading look. "Wait! Before you go to lock yourselves off for a few hours, is it alright if I get some gold to take Yugi, Juno, and Hersilia to the market place? Please? We'll be bored in the palace without you guys."

Atem places a hand on his chin and began to think about it. "I do not know..." He mumbled, like a father deciding on whether or not he should give his child an allowance.

'_Time for plan B!_' Joey thought quickly, before placing his two hands in front of him in a prayer-like position and gave the pharaoh his best, kicked-puppy look. It has never failed him before, so hopefully, it will work this time. Atem couldn't help but blush a bright red and tried to look everywhere BUT at Joey. Of course, that was impossible, he could _FEEL_ the puppy-eyed look staring into his very soul, begging to be noticed.

After a few more seconds he couldn't take it anymore, the pharaoh sighed and nodded his head in defeat. "Alright alright! If you must then you may go to the market place! Just please for the love of all things Egyptian stop with the look!"

Joey jumped for Joy and began to dance around the room happily, shaking his hips and not caring who was watching. "Maahad, give him as much as needed please." Maahad nodded and reached to a small pouch he had hanging in his belt in case of emergencies, he handed the pharaoh the small pouch filled with gold pieces, who then handed it to Joey and turned towards Yugi, who raised a brow at him in return.

"Ah yes! We have not gotten the chance to speak now that you have taken the potion, correct?" The pharaoh asked, smirking as his eyes gazed deeply into Yugi's. The smaller teen leaned back a little as the pharaoh leaned in closer to him, and slowly nodded. Atem gave Yugi his most charming smile and tilted his head to the side. "Hopefully afterward, you and I can get better acquainted." He purred, as Yugi gave him an unamused look and just stayed quiet, why speak when it could only encourage him even more? "Why don't you and I take a nice stroll in my gardens afterward, once things are calmed?" Atem asked.

Of course, Yugi would reject the offer, but Juno popped her head up from behind Yugi and smiled. "Oh, of course, my pharaoh! Yugi would love to go on a stroll with you!" Then Hersilia did the same and gave the pharaoh a small smile. "He will be waiting for you in our bedchambers! He likes a nightly stroll better than one during the day, oh but he wouldn't mind at all if it is just the two of you!"

Atem blinked at the two of them in confusion, before shaking his head and smiling brightly at them, as though he had won first place in the biggest competition of the century. "Splendid! I simply cannot wait until then! Alright, I shall pick you up later tonight, until then Yugi!" Smiling like a fool, the pharaoh walked victoriously towards the throne room, everyone else following behind him with amused smirks on their faces.

Before Yugi could chew them out, Hersilia and Juno dragged him away towards the entrance of the palace. With Joey laughing at the whole scene and grabbing Seto's hand, dragging him along as he followed his friends.

"Come on Seto!"

Ah now THIS, is how things should be.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I cannot BELIEVE you two set me up like that!" Yugi growled at the two girls as they checked out the food stands, Hersilia gave him an apologetic smile and scratched her head nervously.

"I'm sorry Yugi, but he seems to like you a lot and you weren't giving him a chance."

"Hey, Hersilia! Let's buy some nuts! Or bread!" Juno shouted happily as she examined the stalls, completely ignoring the irritated look that Yugi sent her way.

The short teen crossed his arms and sighed. "But I don't _WANT_ to be alone with him. The last thing I need is to fall in love with the pharaoh and then suddenly get my heart broken." Yugi groaned and turned to look towards Kaiba and Joey, who were at another stall looking at some fruits to buy. He watched as Joey would look at something with interest and the Merchant would try to sell it to him, but Kaiba would immediately see it as a fake and chew the man out. He envied those two, at least Joey could be with Kaiba when they get back home, and the two will be together.

He would be alone with no one there for him.

"You know what you must do Yugi?" Juno asked as she turned away from the stall and walked up to him. The tricolored male turned his attention away from the two teens and stared at her, raising a brow with slight interest.

"What?" He asked, as Juno heaved a sigh and grabbed Yugi's shoulder with her left hand while raising her right hand, before slapping him.

"You!"

Slap!

"Must!"

Slap!

"Calm down!"

Slap!

"And make sweet love to the pharaoh! Joey has told me about your want for '_his sweet pharaoh ass_' as he put it. Whatever he meant by that, and I think you should go for it." Yugi stared at her in utter shock and disbelief, did she really just slap him? More importantly, did she really just say she wanted him to '_make sweet love to the pharaoh'_? What the hell? Yugi just stood there, raising his hands to gently touch his cheeks, that were now red and throbbing from her slaps.

Hersilia sighed and whacked Juno gently on the back of her head, before giving Yugi a concerned look. "Although that was not the best method of telling you, she is right you know. You must just go with what you know. If you want to be with the pharaoh then why not just take that chance?"

Yugi just frowned sadly and hugged both girls. Maybe they're right. Maybe he should give Atem a chance and have a 'summer romance' while he was still there.

... Or maybe he should slap Juno when she least expects it so that he could get revenge on her.

Ah yes, sweet sweet revenge.

After buying some snacks, they stumbled upon another oasis far from the market place. "Why is it I always seem to find an oasis wherever I go?" Joey mumbled as he found a nice spot on the ground to sit down at, liking the way the grass felt beneath him. Seto looked around first, cautiously making sure it was safe for all of them before he sat down beside Joey and gently placing down the snacks they had bought.

"This is so beautiful!" Hersilia and Juno screeched as they immediately jumped into the crystal clear water to cool themselves down, not really caring if anyone gave them weird looks. Yugi sighed and shook his head at the two girls, smiling at their happy state, before sitting down next to Joey. He sighed once again and began to rub his still red cheeks.

"What's wrong with you Mutou?" Seto asked as he took a bite out of his apple.

Yugi frowned and puffed out his cheek in annoyance. "Juno slapped me because she says I must '_make sweet sweet love to the pharaoh_' but I don't want to." Seto choked on the apple piece he had been chewing on, as Joey burst out into a laughing fit.

"Well she's right ya know, it's obvious ya want his sexy pharaoh booty and he would give it to ya in a heartbeat. Just sleep with him Yug, you'd be making fangirls everywhere happy." As he said fangirls, the blond pointed towards Hersilia and Juno, who were happily splashing around the water without a single care in the world.

Yugi turned his head and glared at Joey. "Oh? And what about you? It's obvious that you want some of Kaiba's di-"

"This is not about me so shut up!" Joey shouted, interrupting Yugi before looking away in embarrassment. Seto raised a brow, and gave Joey a small smirk, causing said blond to blush a bright red.

"I'm going for a walk." The young blond mumbled as he stood, dusting himself off before walking away from the two. Once he was a few feet away from the others, he turned his head to look over his shoulder and watch as Hersilia and Juno got out of the water, soaking wet and walking over to talk with Seto and Yugi.

The blond couldn't help but smile, they seemed happy and free, having absolutely nothing to worry about. They were like a small family, oh how his heart will ache when the time will come and they have to leave everyone behind. Joey let out a tired sigh and turned to continue his walk around the small oasis. Looking down towards the ground, he noticed that there were some patches of sand that didn't have grass on them. As he kept walking, he caught the sight of something sparkling in a small patch of sand from the corner of his eye. Curious, Joey walked over and kneeled down, digging away some of the sand and picking up the small trinket.

It was a ring.

And man was it was beautiful. The band was written in some unrecognizable language, but he knew it wasn't Egyptian for it did not have hieroglyphs. It seemed to be made of pure gold, beautifully crafted and had a gorgeous blood red ruby on top of it, with small diamonds on each side. Examining the ring a little closer, Joey wiped it clean and then placed it on his ring finger.

Suddenly, everything went black.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The blackness started to blur away and began to bring in the beautiful sight of the clear, blue sky. Slowly opening his eyes, the blond groaned as he raised a hand to rub them gently. He didn't remember ever falling asleep, the last thing he remembered was finding a beautiful ring, cleaning it and placing it on his finger.

Trying to sit up the blond squeaked as he felt the ground below him, underneath him was nothing, there was no ground at all, practically air. It took him a few minutes to realize that he was, indeed, floating in mid-air.

"Why am I not surprised?" He mumbled sarcastically, he was so used to going through so much shit he wasn't surprised that this was actually happening at the moment.

Joey sighed and crossed his arms, he began to think of what it was he should do at the moment until he heard laughter and chatter below him. Glancing down, Joey noticed that he was no longer in Egypt. The air was much clearer and it was not as hot as it normally was in Egypt, the sun did not beam down on its people as intensely as it did here as it usually did in the land of the pharaohs.

The people walking around had their real hair up in odd styles, whereas in Egypt people were either bald or wore wigs. Also, their skin was fair and not as tan, they wore white robes and spoke an unknown language. Being to concentrated on his surroundings, Joey suddenly felt a force pull him gently, and before he knew it, he was flying towards a boat that was boarding passengers of all kinds. It seemed as if he had no control as to where he was to go, so he allowed whatever force it was to take him where he was needed. He watched with interest as people of all shapes and sizes began to board the ship, it appeared as if they couldn't see him at all. Looking around Joey heard a familiar voice below him, turning his head towards the source of the voice the blond's gaze finally landed on _him_.

It was his look-alike from the bowl of water he saw in his room. The boy's skin was darker, almost golden but still lighter than the tan the Egyptians held, his hair was a strawberry blond and his eyes were a dark, crimson color. He also wore white robes and sandals that looked like the gladiator kind he saw in movies. He was with a very beautiful and tall woman who had honey golden eyes and long black hair that reached her calf, almost touching her ankles. Her bangs were rather long and gave her a sort of mysterious vibe, and she wore a beautiful white robe that hugged her hourglass figure.

Strangely, the two seemed as though they were glowing, a golden aura surrounding them.

Joey watched as they laughed and got onto the large boat with the rest of the passengers. As they chatted, Joey's ring began to glow a soft red.

This was odd.

Curious as to why the ring began to glow, he lifted it, raising a brow in confusion as the glow got brighter and brighter. Looking down towards the two, he noticed that something was glowing brightly on both the girl's and on his look-alike's neck. There, tied like a necklace, was a key shape charm. Joey gasped and tries to reach for it, waving his arms frantically in an attempt to move, but he can't seem to move that much at all.

His movements were limited.

"What?" Joey mumbled in confusion, as he saw the boat's captain call out to the others as if to tell them they will be leaving soon. He floated there for a moment, wondering what he should do until he realized that all this was happening because he placed on the ring.

Looking down at the ring, he lifted a hand and gently pulled it off, before blacking out once again.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

His vision began to blur once again, as Joey slowly opened his eyes. He could faintly hear his name being called, becoming clearer with each passing second, blinking a few more times, his vision finally clears and he finds himself being forcefully shaken.

"Joey?!"

Looking up, honey golden eyes met worried icy blue ones as Seto stared him over, checking to see if he was alright, before sighing in relief.

Joey then shook his head to clear his mind, before slowly sitting up properly and stretching, looking around he met the worried gazes of Hersilia, Juno, and Yugi. "Are you alright pup?" Seto asked, resting a hand on the blond's cheek and gently caressing it with his thumb.

Joey shook his head again and ran a hand through his hair. "Y-yeah I'm ok. Sorry, it's just... Weird."

"What happened?" Hersilia asked him, as she handed him a small bowl filled with water, that she magically got from somewhere because she's roman like that. Joey gladly took it, thanking her for the drink and chugging it all, grateful for the wonderful taste before clearing his throat.

"Nothing, it's just that I found this ring shining in the sand." Joey lifted his hand and showed them the ring, before continuing. "And I put it on. Then I blacked out but when I woke up I found myself floating in a weird place. I knew it wasn't Egypt because of the people, the language and their clothes were different, then I saw this pretty woman with a guy that looked just like me! And they both had key-shaped necklaces that were glowing! And the ring was glowing too as if it was trying to tell me something."

Everyone averted their eyes and began to think about it, as Seto reached down and took the ring from Joey's hand, examining it thoroughly. He rolled it around between his fingers, before trying to place it in his ring finger, until a hand was placed on top of his own, stopping him from doing so. Looking to his right, Seto saw Juno giving him a stern look while shaking her head, she then took the ring away from him gently and took Joey's hand in her own, placing it into his open palm before closing his fingers around it.

"This ring is Joey's now, it has chosen him as its new master, therefore only Joey must wear the ring," Juno explained, she smiled and turned to everyone. "The ring had a message written in Latin. It said that whoever found the ring is now its new owner, should anyone else wear it, it will bring a bad omen."

Hersilia gasped and caught everyone's attention. "Oh, I've heard of it! It's the ring of finders! Legend has it that it chooses its master and whoever wears it will find what they most desire. It shows you your wants and needs."

Juno nodded and turned to Joey, giving him a soft smile and tilting her head. "You are looking for a key correct? Maybe the ring gave you a hint of what sort of key you needed. Did you pay attention to every detail?"

Joey thought about it for a brief second, before nodding, he didn't take every detail but he felt like he took what little detail he needed. "Now we just have to wait and see. The ring will glow for when you need to wear it next, so have it close to you always." Joey looked towards Juno and nodded, before looking down at the trinket. A ring that chooses its master, and shows them what they need and wants most in this world.

Feels like something from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Looking up at the now red sky, Seto sighed and stood, dusting his pants off before reaching out a hand towards Joey. "We should probably head back, the last thing I need is to deal with that idiot priest, he might go on and on about how I can't take care of you while he's not around." He grumbled while rolling his eyes. Joey looked at him for a few seconds before nodding and taking his hand, getting up and dusting himself off.

"Food?" Juno asked eagerly, getting Seto to facepalm himself.

"Yes, food, now let's go."

With that, the four began to walk.

Through the palm trees, a cloaked figure stared at them, scowl placed upon its face as it watched the blond walk away, ring in his hands. This was not supposed to happen, he was the one who was supposed to be the bearer of the ring, not that worthless blond!

Sensing someone watching them, Hersilia turned to look over her shoulder, only to see nothing but the palm trees swaying and the light, orange-red glow of the water. She shook her head and shrugged it off as nothing, before running after her friends in an attempt to catch up to them.

The cloaked figure growled, damn, he was almost caught, and by a little girl no less. Those two Roman girls will be his downfall if he didn't get rid of them.

Smirking, the figure chuckled and turned, he had to get his plan into action soon, if he wanted not only to get his revenge, but also the millennium items.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

By the time they had reached the palace, the sky was pitch black and filled with stars. Joey sighed and looked up at the starry filled sky with a grim expression, why did he have the feeling that something bad might happen tonight?

As they climbed up the palace stairs and entered through its large, golden doors, they quickly spotted the pharaoh, and his priests walking in, having a small discussion. Seth seemed to have sensed a new presence and turned his head, making eye contact with Joey. His smile seemed to grow at the sight of the blond, as he quickly ran up to him.

"Joey, how was your day, my love?" He asked, gently holding both of Joey's hands in his own and giving the blond a loving look.

Joey couldn't help but blush and smile back. "It was okay, oh I have something I need to tell ya!"

Seth nodded and leaned in close, pressing his forehead against Joey's softly. "What is it, my beloved?" Before Joey could open his mouth, Seto pulled him away from Seth, wrapping his arms around Joey's waist and holding him close.

"Seto?" The blond asked in confusion, turning his head around to look up at the CEO. Said brunet gently pushed Joey towards his friends, while he and Seth had an all-out glaring contest.

While this was happening, Atem had spotted Yugi and immediately turned to gave the smaller teen a charming smile. "Welcome back Yugi."

Yugi blinked and raised a brow. " Uh, hello Atem, how are you?"

Atem could practically feel the butterflies flap around in his stomach, as his heart was beating hard against his chest. "I am well young one, now, about our little stroll through the garden later on..."

Before Yugi could say anything Juno and Hersilia pulled him away. "He simply cannot wait until then! But he is much too shy to speak about it now, my pharaoh."

Hersilia nodded in agreement and gave the pharaoh a sweet smile. "He has been talking about you at the market place, but right now we must get to a much more important matter."

Atem nodded and smiled brightly, a light blush dusting his tan cheeks as he stared into Yugi's beautiful Amethyst eyes. "Yes, you are right. Important matters first and foremost. Later on then Yugi, we shall be alone to speak with one another." He winked and walked towards Joey, who held a confused look on his face as Seto held Seth in a headlock while Seth repeatedly smacked him with the millennium rod.

Yugi turned to the two girls and frowned. "I hate you both."

They just laughed and hugged him tightly, cuddling their cheeks against his. "We love you as well, Yugi."

After separating the two look-alikes, Joey explained to the pharaoh and his priests about what had happened with the ring. Everyone thought a great deal about it before Atem just sighed and suggested they all have dinner before heading to bed, it would be better to talk about it tomorrow morning when everyone is well-rested and energized.

After dinner Joey excused himself and headed towards Isis's healing chambers, he had a question for Clefia. Opening the door slowly, Joey popping his head in, smiling as he spotted Clefia slowly eating her dinner. Clefia stopped eating and looked up, smiling as she saw Joey walking in.

"Evening Joey." She greeted, before taking a small bite of her bread. Joey nodded and sat down next to her, watching as she ate her food slowly do to her injuries. Joey's eyes wandered to her bandaged hands and arms before he sighed.

"Clefia, is it alright if I ask you a question?"

Getting her attention, Clefia turned her head away from her bread and smiled at Joey, nodding for him to continue.

"Well, I wanted to ask if you remember anything at all about this Amam guy. Did you by any chance see his face?"

Clefia looked down at her plate on her lap and thought hard. "Well no, he never removed his cloak. But I do remember seeing it fall once." Joey's eyes lit up a bit as he leaned in closer.

"I did see a little, he had a large scar down the right side of his face and that he appeared to be blind in his right eye. but other than that I do not remember much."

Joey smiled and gently patted Clefia's head, thanking her for the information. "Thank you Clefia, it's a big help. Get some rest, I promise that you will be safe and I will protect Ya. This Amam guy won't ever hurt ya again." Saying his goodnight, Joey closed the door and headed towards his room.

So Amam had a scar down the side of his face, typical villain look, why can't villains look sexy for once? I mean really, no one would suspect you If you looked like Johnny Deep or Brad Pit.

As he heads towards his room, Joey finds Hersilia, Juno and Yugi all waiting for him. "Hey, guys, what's up?" He greeted, walking towards them with a smile on his face. The three look up at him with tired smiles on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked, raising a brow.

Juno stretched as Hersilia rubbed her tired eye. "We felt like sleeping in your room with you tonight, it just feels like something might happen," Yugi explained, standing up as he used a hand to cover his yawn. "Then again it could be paranoia, I mean how many times have we saved the world from doom and stuff?"

Juno and Hersilia stood as well, as Joey chuckled. "Too many times to count, alright I wouldn't mind the company." To be honest, Joey was about to head towards Seto's or Seth's room that night because he didn't want to be alone.

As he opened the door to his room and allowed the others to enter. He thanked the gods that his bed was large enough to fit four people.

They all made themselves comfortable and bid each other goodnight, before falling asleep. Joey was on the edge on the left-hand side while Juno slept next to him, Hersilia was in the middle and Yugi slept on the right at the edge of the bed. It would have been funny, but for some reason the moment he entered his room he felt so sleepy, it was odd because this usually never happened.

As the gang slept peacefully, a cloaked figure mysteriously appears on Joey's balcony. Its eyes wandered around the room, examining it before they landed on the blond's back. Smirking, it walked in closer, holding a small basket in his right hand. Once he was close enough, he bent down and opened the basket, letting out a poisonous snake to wander around the room freely.

The cloaked figure chuckled before heading back outside and jumping off the balcony, disappearing into the night. The snake soon makes its way up onto Joey's bed and slithers up to said blond's neck, baring its teeth, the snake lets out a loud hiss, before finally, biting down hard onto the flesh before him.


	11. The Juno Snakes

The snake let out a soft hiss, before finally, sinking its teeth into the soft flesh before it, letting its venom flow through the human's bloodstream, intoxicating it and poisoning them on the inside. As the snake poured its venom into the human's neck, a hand shot out and quickly gripped its own neck tightly, squeezing it with all its might.

"Why you ungrateful creature!" A soft voice hissed, pulling the snake away from the flesh beneath it. "How dare you try to strike at poor Joey!" The snake hissed, before closing its mouth shut as the human girl tightened her grip, blocking any air from the snake's throat. Juno frowned and removed her left hand away from Joey's neck gently, lifting it up towards her face as she examined the bite marks the snake left her, watching as blood began to ooze from the two puncture wounds left behind. She scowled and slowly tried to make her way off of the bed, without causing too much movement and waking the others up. "Good thing you got me and not Joey. I'm used to being bitten by snakes, but I highly doubt he is."

The young teen grunted as her feet made contact with the cold ground. As it turns out, Juno had heard someone sneak into the room and waited to see what they wanted, she had spotted a cloaked figure leaving the snake before disappearing into the night. She then waited for it and soon spotted the snake slithering up to Joey's legs and making it way towards his neck. Thinking quickly and not wanting the blond to be bitten, she had placed her hand protectively around his neck and made sure the snake bit her instead.

Grunting once again in pain, the young girl began to feel dizzy, trying hard to make sure she didn't miss a single step. The dizziness she felt only intensified with each passing second, and before she knew it she fell down hard onto the ground, knocking over a small table and causing a loud ruckus. The sudden loud noise had woken the others up, on their guard the three sat up and turned towards the source of the sound, only to find Juno with a snake in her hand. They watch with confusion as the young teen struggled to stand, swaying and panting heavily as she made it towards the balcony. She used up the last of her strength and threw that dreaded snake over the balcony, before falling over unconscious.

"JUNO!" They all shouted in unison, as they threw the thin bedsheets off of them and stood, running towards the unconscious body of their friend. Joey looked over her small form, watching as she panted heavily, sweat covering her face as she shivered violently.

"Oh no." Hersilia gasped, her hands flying towards her mouth in shock as she stared at Juno's swollen hand. "She's been bitten." Joey immediately moved to pick her up, gently he lifted her head and hooked his left hand underneath her knees, picking her up bridal style as he headed towards the door.

"Yug’. open the door for me please." He told his friend, who nodded and wasted no time in opening the chamber door.

Turning to glance over his shoulder, Yugi sent Hersilia a serious look. "Get Isis! We need to get Juno to the healing room ASAP!" That being said, the three quickly got out of the room and ran off.

They just hoped they would make it in time to save Juno.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"What happened?" Isis asked as she came running down the halls towards the two, Hersilia right behind her.

Yugi turned towards the priestess and gave her a panicked look. "We woke up to this loud banging noise and found Juno on the floor with a snake in her hand. She threw it over the balcony and fainted, is there something you can do Isis?"

Said priestess moved towards Juno, who was laying down on the bed gasping for air, her hair began to stick to her face as she sweats and shook violently. Isis's gaze moved from Juno's pained expression to her left hand.

The puncture wound was leaking with a black substance, as her hand became large and swollen with a purple, almost black-like hue. "I've never seen a bite mark like this before! The swelling seems to be traveling up her arm! If we do not do something fast her arm will literally explode."

Joey snapped his head towards her and frowned. "Is there anything you can do, Isis?" The priestess thought for a moment, before immediately heading to get jar upon jar of herbs and salves on her counter, placing them down onto the small table near the bed and turning towards the three. "I need you to wait outside, I'll send some guards to check your room for any more poisonous snakes or insects. I'll do everything I can to save her, this I promise you."

The three were hesitant at first, but nodded and complied, heading out of the room and closing the door behind them to allow the priestess to continue her work. After giving the guards Isis's orders, the three began to pace around, prying to the gods in hopes that they will answer their prayers and save Juno. After a few minutes of nothing but silence, they heard Juno screaming painfully at the top of her lungs, crying and begging for help, and for Isis to stop the horrible pain. Yugi and Hersilia had their hands fly up towards their ears in an attempt to block out the painful howls. Their eyes filled up with tears, as the two sat down onto the cold ground and tried hard to ignore Juno.

But Juno kept screaming.

Her screeches echoed throughout the walls of the palace, sounding loudly as she cried harder, shouting for help from the gods to stop the pain. Her screams were so loud it had awoken the pharaoh as well as the others, slaves who were walking by as well as some guards gave the healing chambers a horrified look before running off in the opposite direction.

As the screaming continued, Atem and the others ran towards Isis's healing chambers, spotting Joey, Hersilia, and Yugi all covering their ears as tears flowed down their cheeks.

"Puppy! What's wrong? Who's hurt?" Seto called out, stopping in front of the blond and frantically checking if he was alright, Joey looked up at him and sniffled, quickly burying his face into the brunet's bare chest as he bawled his eyes out.

"What is going on? What is wrong? Is someone in danger?" Atem asked, looking over Yugi as Maahad did the same with Hersilia. Yugi sniffled and clung onto the pharaoh, crying in his arms and enjoying the soothing words and comforting pats he received.

"I-it's Juno! She was bitten by a snake and Isis said that she's never seen a wound like that before!" Hersilia cried. Maahad looked towards the pharaoh in concern as he held the young female in his arms, comforting her and telling her that Juno will be alright.

"She's a tough girl, I know she will get through this," Maahad whispered, smiling down at the younger girl.

Atem nodded and agreed with his priest. "He is right, Juno will be fine. She can fight through anything." Yugi looked up at him and sniffled, nodding in agreement.

Seto smirked and patted Joey's head softly, looking into his eyes with amusement. "Not even the apocalypse could destroy that tiny killing machine. Have faith in her ability to fight pup, you've seen her, she can get through anything."

As the three younger teens calmed down, Isis opened the door and came out with a panicked look upon her face, she seemed as though she was on the verge of bawling her eyes out. The woman took a deep breath to control herself, before glancing down sadly, holding her hands towards her chest as she shook her head. "I am sorry, no matter how hard I try I simply cannot heal her. I am devastated to say that Juno might not make it through this..."

Joey, Yugi and Hersilia gasp, before crying uncontrollably. Atem and Maahad looked down sadly, holding onto Hersilia and Yugi as they tried to comfort them.

Seto, on the other hand, growled.

"I refuse!" He shouted, causing the others to jump in a slight surprise. "That midget is not dying! Not on my watch!" Turning to stomp his way inside the room, the CEO huffed and slammed the door behind him.

Curses were soon heard, both from Seto and Juno as the latter began to scream in agony. With each passing minute that Seto was in there, Juno's scream seemed less and less painful, until finally, she stopped completely and resorted to sobbing uncontrollably and cursing at all the snakes in the world.

Within a few hours, Seto calls out for Isis, shouting that he is done and needs her assistance. Without hesitation, the priestess runs in with Maahad following quickly behind, all in hopes of helping out in any way that he could. Seto walked out of the room, dusting his hands with a satisfied look upon his face.

"Pathetic." He mumbled, before crossing his arms over his bare chest.

Joey sniffled and looked up at him with a confused expression. "What happened? Will she be alright?"

The CEO looked towards his puppy and smirked. "She will. I just had to suck out the poison, it took a while though since the poison was traveling up her arm at a fast rate. I had to tie her shoulder tightly with a string and cut off its circulation while I got to work. The poison was bitter, a sort of burning like sensation which became unbearable to Isis. But I took care of it, simple problems like that are nothing compared to the shit I usually take from idiots back at the company."

Joey and the others stared at him in confusion, while he raised a brow at them in return. "So, you're sayin' dat Juno..."

"Juno will be fine, pup, the swelling has gone down and she has little to no poison at all in her system. She will live to witness the apocalypse I assure you."

Everyone stood in silence, before breaking out into bright smiles and cheering happily, jumping for joy as Yugi kissed Atem's cheek, before hopping around with Hersilia, leaving a happily stunned pharaoh standing there looking dazed. Joey couldn't contain his Joy, turning towards the brunet he jumped onto him, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist as he kissed him deeply, not caring who was watching him.

After their small make-out session and celebration, a guard came running down the halls towards the pharaoh, stopping before him and giving a quick bow to show his respect. "My pharaoh, we have found the snake that has bitten the tiny female. It was slithering its way back into your blond guest's room." The guard then lifted his hand to show the pharaoh the now dead snake.

Seto, much to his disappointment, put Joey down gently before walking towards the guard, extending his hand towards him. "Let me see that snake for a moment." Blinking, the guard nodded and handed the snake to Seto, placing it into the brunet's open palm. The CEO then used both his hands to stretch out the snake gently, examining its scales and pattern, smirking at the grossed out looks Yugi and Joey were giving him.

Turning back to the snake, the young CEO made sure to memorize its colors. It was an odd blue, red, white and black scaled snake, one he has never seen before. Suddenly Seto's eyes lit up as his smirk widen.

"Is it special or somethin'?" Joey asked, trying not to get too close.

"It's a rare snake I read once in a book, it is called the S_nake of Juno_, or the _Juno Snake_, because out of everyone that this snake has ever bitten, only one has survived its bite, and their name was Juno. These snakes only existed once in life, only found in Egypt, then they were mysteriously wiped off the face of the earth." He explained, feeling his ego grow at the sight of an impressed looking Joey.

The pharaoh, upon taking in the information and paying close attention to what Seto had said, was annoyed that someone had tried to harm Joey and the others. They had become family, even though he hasn't been able to spend time with Yugi, Juno or Hersilia.

As the five began to talk of what they should do next, Seth came stomping his way down the halls, an annoyed look gracing his features as he dragged a scrawny looking old man, who was flailing his arms around and begging for mercy, behind him. Seth then stopped in front of them and threw the scrawny old man onto the ground before the pharaoh.

"This man actually had the audacity to try and stab me in the chest while I slept!" Of course, Seth was a light sleeper, just like Seto, and was able to stop the old fool from trying anything.

The old man was definitely scrawny, his bones could be seen popping out of his skin, his clothes were ripped and ragged, his scalp was practically shaven save for small patches of hair here or there. The old man in question began to panic and quickly bowed on his hands and knees at the pharaoh, begging for mercy.

"Oh have mercy on an old man my pharaoh! I did not wish to cause the head priest harm! I was forced to! I had no choice!" He kept bowing and blabbering on and on about how the fault was not entirely his.

Atem sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Enough! Speak, who is it that has sent you to murder my dear cousin in his sleep?"

The scrawny man sat on his knees and bowed his head. "My name is Arma, Amam has forced me to come here and kill priest Seth. I am bound by my word to obey his command or I will lose my life."

The young priest heaved a sigh and turns his back to the man, asking for the pharaoh's opinion on what it is he should do with Arma. While his back was turned, Arma reached into his ragged tunic skirt and pulled out a rusty dagger. Slowly he begins to stand, shaking a bit as he raises the dagger and gets ready to strike the priest. Seeing something strange from the corner of his eye, the young blond spots Arma and gasps.

"Seth look out!" He cried, causing the said priest to turn around, right when Arma brings the dagger down hard.

But before the dagger could make contact with Seth's skin, Hersilia thinks fast and kicks Arma in the stomach hard, causing the elderly man to fall to the ground, clenching his stomach in agony. Hersilia then kicks the dagger away from him and scowls as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I will not allow anyone else I care about to be hurt again!"

Yugi and Joey smile as Atem pats Hersilia's head affectionately.

"I'm impressed Hersilia." Yugi mumbled, hugging said girl and telling her she did good. Seth called a guard over and gave them strict orders to take Arma to the dungeon.

"Make sure he is well guarded, the last thing I need is for him to escape and try to stab someone else." As the guards obeyed Seth's command, Seto turned to Joey and sighed.

"So pup, what do you plan to do next?"

Joey raises a hand to rub his chin in thought, he seriously had no idea.

What should he do next? Suddenly, he remembered the ring.

"I have to go back to my room, my ring might have some idea on who or what I have to get next!" Just as he was about to run off, Seth and Seto placed a hand on either side of his shoulder and pulled him back, scowling at him.

"Absolutely not!" They growled in unison.

"We can just send a guard to retrieve the ring for you Joey," Seth told him, having Seto nod his head in agreement.

"Actually." Hersilia began, raising her hand to get their attention. "It is alright." She then extends her hand and opens her palm, revealing to them the Ring of Finders in her open palm. Walking over to Joey, the young female grabbed his hand and placed the ring in his open palm. "It is just as Juno said." She began, placing her hands on her hips as she scowled at Joey. "You must always carry this ring with you! You are lucky that I snatched it off the table before we came here."

Joey sweatdropped, listening to everything Hersilia had to say before turning his attention towards the ring. As he stared at it, it began to glow, the glow was dim at first, before getting brighter.

"Well? Put it on, pup." Seto encouraged, crossing his arms as he gazed at him intensely. The young blond stared down at the trinket, before lifting his hand and placing it on his ring finger.

As usual, Joey saw only darkness.

Once he awakes, he finds himself floating in the air just like before. Shaking away his confusion, the young teen glanced around, trying to find out what it was that needed his attention.

As he checks his surroundings, Joey couldn't help but be impressed with what he saw. He found himself in what appeared to be a strange hideout of sorts.

The walls were old and looked like a tomb, each wall had a picture, as though telling a story. A bed was pushed up against the wall with silk pillows and blankets thrown around in such a lazy fashion, there was also a torch, hanging by the wall and lighting up the room as he spotted sand in random parts of the floor, mostly in corners.

Looking around the room once again, the blond spots Akefia, Bakura's past self, walking into the hideout with a large, red sack of loot. The thief chuckled as he settled the bag down onto the ground and sat down on the floor leaning against the wall. As he checks his treasures, he finds a key-shaped necklace with a silver chain around it. Joey couldn't help but tilt his head to the side with curiosity, as he hears Akefia laugh loudly, mumbling about how he hasn't seen that key since he was a child. Suddenly, Joey's ring began to glow brightly. Lifting his hand he sees Akefia glow a soft, golden color, along with the key in his hand.

Akefia laughed once again and placed the key on as a necklace, twirling it around his hand as he stared at it with a small look of interest. Finally understanding what he has to do, Joey nods to himself and takes the ring off, blacking out again.

Once he awakens, he finds himself surrounded by everyone as Seto holds him in his arms gently, sighing in relief at seeing Joey opening his eyes. Shaking his head, he groans and sits up, looking towards Atem and sending him a pleased smile.

"I know who we have to go after."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"No, absolutely not."

When Joey had explained to the group who they needed to get and how he planned to get him, the pharaoh grew outraged. Joey knew that he did not approve of Akefia under any circumstances, but was now really the time to be acting so damn childish?

"Oh come on Atem, we really need his help though, he must know something about the keys!" Joey begged, clasping his hands together as he pleaded with the pharaoh.

"I will not participate in having that, that _fiend!_ Here, in my palace! Find someone else!"

Joey sighed and would have given Atem the puppy eyes, but the older male was just too damn stubborn to listen. Hersilia watched as Joey slumped his shoulders in defeat and sighed, he really wanted to find those keys and be able to head home to his family. Not wanting Joey to quite, she tried to think of ways to get the stubborn pharaoh to just agree with his plan.

Looking over to her right, she gave a bright smile as a light bulb shined over her head. "Hey, Yugi?" She asked, moving closer to him, giving him a pleading smile.

Yugi turned to her and smiled. "Yes, Hersilia? Is there something you need?"

Hersilia looked down, before nodding her head in the direction of the pharaoh. "I think it would be a great help to Joey if _YOU_ tried to speak with the pharaoh. He might listen to you since he fancies you most."

Yugi felt his jaw drop to the ground, as a blush rose to his cheeks. "What? No! No there is no way I'm going to convince him, besides he seems to hate Akefia, why try when it's already a lost cause?"

Seto, upon hearing the small conversation, rolled his eyes in irritation. "You're right." He began, his eyes not once leaving Joey's form in front of him. "Why not just let the only opportunity of us actually being able to head back home slip through your fingers? I mean, it's not like you miss your grandfather or your friends. If anything it's not like it won't, in the slightest, kill Joey little by little at knowing that he will never again see his little sister, nor will he ever be there to comfort her heartbreaks, beat up potential boyfriends, see her graduate high school and college, or even be at his _ONLY_ sibling's wedding as she marries the man she supposedly falls in love with. God forbid it’s Tristian or Duke."

He turned for a brief second to give Yugi a cold glare. "But I mean, who really _cares_ if you refusing to help your friend out because you cannot come to terms with your feelings, means your best friend will slowly suffer and cry his heart out over not being able to see Serenity ever again. No big deal, right?" He turned back to watch Joey fail once again to convince the pharaoh, and frowned.

Hersilia's jaw dropped to the floor, as Yugi stared at him in utter shock. After a moment of silence, Hersilia slowly closed her mouth and begin to clap, shaking her head in utter amazement.

Yugi inhaled a deep breath and heaved a frustrated sigh, growled at the CEO before him. "Jeez since when did you become a travel agent? Sending me on the biggest guilt trip of my friggen life!"

Seto just scoffed. "Please, I'm a businessman, I get paid to make others miserable. Oh and how I love making my idiotic employees miserable."

Yugi gasped and glared at him. "You heartless bastard!"

This simply made the young CEO laugh. "Oh please how pathetic, I've been called far worse."

Hersilia just giggled and gently pushed Yugi towards Atem, ignoring his grumbling about how Seto was a jerk and made him feel like the worst friend in the world.

As Joey pleaded again, he felt a hand tap on his shoulder gently as though trying to capture his attention. Turning around to glance over his shoulder, he spotted his tricolored haired friend, standing there with an annoyed expression and a blush on his cheeks.

"Go to Seto and Hersilia, I'll see what I can do."

Raising a brow in confusion, Joey just shrugged his shoulders and nodded, walking towards Hersilia and Seto as Yugi sighed, taking a deep breath before clearing his throat.

"Joey if I have told you once then I shall tell you once again, no I will not go along with your plan to get the thief to help us. Now please stop asking." Yugi couldn't help but give a sad smile, Atem was just like Yami, stubborn about what he wanted and not letting anyone change his mind, then again it's no surprise the two were alike.

"I guess I should just leave I suppose."

Atem's eyes shot open at the sound of Yugi's voice, turning around he saw the younger teen giving him a small smile. "I'm sorry, I'll just leave you alone." Turning to leave, Atem visibly panicked, waving his arms around in a failed attempt to stop him.

"N-no! It is alright I apologize just please, do not leave..."

Yugi smiled and looked up at him with a soft look, his cheeks dusted a lovely shade of pink, this simple look made Atem's heart do flips in his chest.

"Atem." Yugi began, stepping closer towards the taller teen and gently touching his shoulder. "It would really mean a lot to me if you could help us get Akefia. Nothing would be better than finding those keys." Yugi then decided to whip out his best puppy-eyed look, the same look that has gotten him so many free treats as a child and kept him out of trouble with his teachers.

Atem swallowed hard and blushed to a bright crimson, as he reached out to hold both of Yugi's hands in his own, stepping closer to the younger male and leaning down towards him, causing Yugi to blush harder at the closeness.

"If catching that thief and collecting those keys truly makes you happy Yugi, then I will gladly do as you ask." He began, sending Yugi a loving gaze. "I would do any and everything in my power just to make you happy because, from the very first moment I laid my eyes on you, you became my all. You are everything and all I ever think about, you at the first person on my mind when I awake during morning's first light, and the last person I think of before I slip into unconsciousness. My dreams are filled with nothing but you young one."

Yugi looks away, feeling his heart ready to rip out of his chest as his cheeks felt as though they were on fire. Smiling softly, Atem calls forth his guards. "Is there something you need my pharaoh?"

Atem gives them a serious look and motions his head towards Joey. "Yes, I want you to do everything Joey asks in order to capture the thief king, report to me once his plan has been completed." Once the guards received their order, the went towards Joey and waited for his order. "Like I've said before young one." Atem began once the guard was out of hearing range, lifting Yugi's hands to his lips and kissing his knuckles softly before placing them down. "I would do any and everything in my power, just to make you happy." With that he let go of Yugi's hands, leaning in to kiss his cheek softly, before smiling and turning to walk out of the room.

Joey and Hersilia cheered and sent him a thumbs up, telling him that he did great. After snapping out of his trance, Yugi just scowls at them, trying to calm his racing heart and get rid of the blush on his cheeks.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joey's plan was simple, The pharaoh will pretend to make his guards and slaves work on a fake ritual, they will place precious gold and other valuables in a cave and have a guard spread rumors about the tomb. When the thief king hears of all the treasures buried there, he will without a doubt be tempted to try and raid the tomb of everything it contains. Joey watched as Atem told the guards to guard the entrance and be on the lookout for Akefia, if they saw him, they must simply ignore him and allow him to sneak inside as though gold were hidden there.

"Alright, everything is done, now we wait. Without a doubt that idiot will be here if he hears of gold and such." Atem mumbled, moving to hide behind a large rock on the side of the room. The others did the same, crouching down and waiting for the thief to arrive at any given moment.

In no time at all did they hear sneaky footsteps, and soon, a torch-lit the room, looking around Akefia scowled. "Alright." He called out, placing a hand on his hip as his other handheld the torch up high. "Either someone has already raided this room before I could, or this is an ambush. And since I doubt the first one." Akefia began to smirk and look towards the rocks near the wall. "Come out come out where ever you are my pharaoh."

Atem stood and glared at the man before him, dusting his tunic clean "hello thief, long time no see."

The thief couldn't help but give the pharaoh a satisfied smirk, growing larger as he saw how it annoyed the man. "Why pharaoh, what could you possibly want of me that you went to all the trouble of setting this little ambush for little old me."

Joey couldn't help but snicker, Akefia was a cocky little bastard.

The pharaoh growled and crossed his arms over his chest. "As much as this pains me to say it... We need your help Akefia."

The thief king stared at him with an unamused stare, blinking in a bored manner. "Is the pharaoh, _THE_ great pharaoh of Egypt, asking a thief for help? What, your priests have failed you? Or do you require my amazing thieving skills?"

"You have a knowledge of something that is of great importance to my friends, we need your help in identifying and finding these objects."

"So you came to me for help?"

"Yes... Sadly you were the one who was chosen to help us. If I had a say in it I would never have bothered to call you."

The thief just scoffed and turned around, waving his hand aimlessly in the air. "Yes well, I have no interests nor any intentions to help you what so ever. Good day pharaoh." As he was about to leave Joey steps out, he stands in front of Akefia and spreads his arms out, blocking the exit.

"Please Akefia! We really need your help!"

The thief is confused for a moment, before scoffing and pushing him out of the way. "Did you not hear me? I have said that I have no intention of helping what so ever."

Hersilia, Yugi, and Seto then come out and stared at Akefia, hoping he would change his mind.

"Please, you have to help us! You are the one the ring called for, we need only your help." Hersilia begged, walking up to him with a pleading look on her face.

But no matter how much they begged him, he did not budge. "I said no! I do not wish to help you people now leave me be!"

Before the thief could turn to walk away, Yugi growled and stomped his way towards him, blocking his path. "Move out of my way peasant! I have no time for the likes of you!" Yugi glared at the thief, before pulling his arm back and punching Akefia hard in the stomach, causing the thief to fall to his knees. He clenched his stomach in agony as the torch fell out of his hand.

Yugi kneeled down and grabbed the front of the thief's red cloak, pulling his face up close and giving the thief his dirtiest look. "You listen here and you listen good, Akefia. Atem went through a lot of trouble to set this up and get you here. He doesn't even like you, but he still went through with it because he cares for his friends dearly. Now you either help us out or so help me I will personally make sure you have trouble using the bathroom for the rest of your life!"

"You will be rewarded," Seto said, speaking up as he stood next to a shocked and slightly scared Joey. Crossing his arms over his chest the CEO gave the thief king his usual, unemotional look. "Whatever it is you want, you will get. That is if you make the right choice."

When Akefia stayed silent and just stared at Seto, Yugi growled and began to shake him violently. "Just make a damn choice! I want to go home already!"

"Alright alright! I'll help you just let go of me!" Akefia growled, grabbing Yugi's wrist and stopping the younger teen from shaking him even more. At hearing the thief agree, Yugi, Joey and Hersilia smiled brightly.

Akefia simply grumbled and stood, dusting off the sleeves to his cloak and fixing it properly. Before he knew what was happening, he suddenly found himself laying on his back on the ground as the three cuddled onto his chest, thanking him over and over again. The thief growled and tried to get them off, failing miserably and glaring at the priest look-alike and the pharaoh, who was just laughing cruelly at his miserable state.

Later, later on, he will get his revenge on the two.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Akefia ate away his fish and meat, enjoy the taste of good food as everyone chatted. The pharaoh glared at his rude table manners but decided to just go with it since he didn't want to cause a scene and look bad in front of Yugi.

They were all having lunch since they skipped breakfast because of the incident that morning, Joey was eating happily, sitting in between Seth and Seto as the two just glared at each other.

"So," Akefia spoke once he finished his meal, gladly taking the beer that the servants had offered him. He took a quick sip and looked towards the pharaoh. "What is it that you need of me?"

Yugi turned to him and smiled. "Well, you see. Joey, Seto and I," Upon saying their names he gestured towards them and continued. "We are not from here or from this time. We're looking for some special keys that will help us get back home, Joey explained to us that you know something about them and you can help us find them."

Akefia nodded and raised a hand to rub his chin in thought. "You are looking for a key, you say? Is it perhaps, something similar to this?" He reached into the pocket of his red coat and pulled out a necklace with a key on it. It was made of gold, having a few scratches from being used but it looked as though it was recently made.

Joey gasped and nodded his head rapidly. "That's da one! Dats da key we're lookin' fo'!" Joey gave a bright smile and looked at the key with excitement, ignoring the amused look Seto gave him at the sound of his accent. Akefia nodded and held the key in his open palm, rubbing it gently.

"Yes, I do know of them. It is a long legend, I do not remember it fully but I do know some parts to it." Placing the key down gently onto the table, before clearing his throat and trying to remember the exact story. "As I have said before, I do not remember much of this legend, but I will try my best to explain it."

Everyone leaned in close to hear it, it was now time to get serious.

"The keys you are looking for are called '_The God Keys_'. The God Keys are a small group of keys that are collected and placed together to open a portal into the place one's heart desires to be. It has the power to head from any point in time. Into the distant past or to the far future."

Into the far future.

Joey and Yugi sent each other knowing looks, before looking back towards Akefia, who tried to remember the other part of the legend. "The God Keys were created in Kul Elna, where a man who was distraught by the loss of his wife and daughter, wished to head back to the past to stop their untimely death..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

There once was a man who crafted 11 different keys, each one with its own special power. Upon finishing these special keys, the man took them to a special shrine high above a well-crafted pyramid. He placed them onto a table, separating them in order of its creation. Once he finished, he kneeled down and pleading with the Gods to grant the keys powers. Of course, the Gods took pity on him, and seeing as this man had nothing but good intentions for the keys, they gave each one a special power.

Happy with the keys, the man soon created a special stone slab called the _Door of Times_. Using all of his 11 keys, he was able to successfully travel back in time and save his wife and child, along with many other people as well. Of course, the keys were also a curse as well as a blessing. Evil people have heard of its power and began to come after this old fool's keys.

Fearing for the safety of his family and the world, the now old man hid all 11 keys, entrusting one to 11 of his closest friends, and bid them farewell as they left to different places of the world. But the old man was not as foolish as he seemed, he had a feeling that one day, someone might truly need to use the God Keys just as he did in his youth. So he decided to create the _Ring of Finders,_ with the Ruby made out of his blood. In order for the person who truly needed to find these keys for a selfless purpose, he made it so that the ring chooses its master.

The ring of finders can feel when a person had good intentions, and truly needs the God Keys. After the Ring of Finders was created, the old man called upon the gods to hide the ring until it must appear again.

Hearing his plea the gods send down a mighty dragon to take the ring and fly up high into the air, to then drop the ring in a random, secluded area.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"...Since then, the search for the 11 keys has been futile unless you have _The_ _Ring Of Finders_." Akefia finished, staring down at the key before him and smiling, his mother used to tell him that story.

Joey smiles and takes out the ring. "Well then it's a good thing I have this then!"

Akefia looked up at him and gasped. "Is that?"

"Da Ring of Finders? Yup! Found it yesterday actually, that's why we came after ya. Da ring told me to get ya." Joey watched as Akefia stared at the ring with desire, he was tempted to take it, he wanted to keep it for his own, but there was no way in hell he was going to get cursed.

Atem cleared his throat and stared at the thief. "And where must we go once we find all 11 keys?" Akefia turned towards the pharaoh and shrugged his shoulders. "That is the part of the legend that I do not remember, I also do not remember who must hold what key or what order they go in."

"Then you are useless."

Akefia crossed his arms and glared at the pharaoh. "Hey! I knew more about the keys than you did! Besides, if the ring not only showed the blond-"

"-Joey."

"-Joey, if the ring not only showed Joey the key but it also showed me glowing, then that means you've found a _Keeper_!"

Hersilia raised a brow and turned to him, offering him some more roasted mutton. "A Keeper? What is a Keeper?"

Akefia took the mutton, muttering a simple thank you to the girl and took a bite. "A _Keeper_ is the guardian of the key. You see the keys are special enough to choose their masters, just like the Ring of Finders picked Joey. The keys each chose who will be their Keeper."

"It did show you glowing. Actually it showed ya glowing first even before ya opened your bag of loot in your room and pulled out the key." Joey explained, reaching out and took a sip of his wine, he had gotten so used to drinking it that he ended up liking the bittersweet taste of it.

"Then you have found yourself a Keeper!" Akefia shouted, clapping his hands and feeling proud of himself.

"Yay! Now you can go home and be with your friends and family!" Hersilia cheered, hugging Yugi, who hugged back.

"That is if you don't place them in the wrong order."

Yugi turned to the thief and raised a brow. "What do you mean? What happens if we place them in the wrong order?" Akefia just swirled his wine and finished it off. "Well, it causes a negative effect and kills you. It's something the old fool did to prevent idiots who found the keys without the help of the ring."

When they stared at him in shock, he sighed heavily and placed his goblet down. "Don't worry, the ring should eventually tell you the order, or at least hinted something to you about it!"

Joey just sighed and thanked Akefia for the information, watching as Seth and Seto, who took the key without anyone realizing it, examined it thoroughly. The key was big enough to fit in their large palm, it seemed to have grown in some way. Truth be told it was probably the prettiest key Joey has ever laid his eyes on.

"It appears to have some sort of message written onto it." Seth thought out loud, rubbing some sand off of the key a bit before reading it out loud. "It reads Key of the Thief, Who Loves the Beauty."

"The beauty of stealing I suppose, accurate key," Akefia mumbled as he sipped away on his wine, leaning back against his chair and relaxing.

Now, this was life.

Hersilia turned away from the two brunets and stared at Alefia, twiddling her thumbs together nervously.

"Um, Mr. Akefia?" She asks, watching as he drowned his wine and grunted at her in response. "Now that you know why we need your help, will you stay to help us willingly? Since you _ARE_ a Keeper and we need that key..."

Akefia would have told her he had no intention of helping at all and was planning on leaving afterward, but the look on her face made him feel guilty. _Him_!

Of all people!

The thief sighed and turned to her, resting his cheek in his palm and nodding. "Fine, I'll help. But only until you find all the keys! Then you must leave me alone!"

Hersilia cheered and thanked him, giving the rather embarrassed thief a quick hug.

Suddenly, the doors open to reveal an exhausted but happy looking Maahad. He turned to the pharaoh and smiled. "Juno will be fine, you may come to see her now."

Upon hearing the news everyone quickly began to stand and follow Maahad out of the room. Akefia raised a brow in confusion, wondering where everyone was going.

Upon seeing his confused expression, Yugi smiled and turned to him, grabbing his hand and pulling the thief to his feet before dragging him out the doors.

"Come! You have to meet Juno, I can tell she'll love you!" As the two walked away, neither noticed the angry and jealous look the pharaoh gave them, not liking the whole hand-holding ordeal. As everyone entered the room, they saw an angry looking Juno, with her left arm all wrapped up in a tight bandage, from the tips of her fingers to her shoulder blade. Hersilia was immediately by her side, bombarding her with a million questions to see if she was truly alright, and if she was still the same Juno as she was before getting bitten.

Isis walked towards Hersilia, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and giving her a victorious smile. "Juno will be alright, she is just angry at the fact that her arm and shoulder blade are numb and she can barely move it,"

Juno growled and crossed her arms, glaring at her left hand. "I curse every single snake that slithers upon this earth! Let them all wither away and die! When I get my hands on that cloaked man I will rip out his eyes and make sure that a snake bites him in his backside!"

Juno kept rambling on and on about what she will do to the figure once she finds him, that is until she noticed Akefia staring at her, with recognition written all over his features. She stared back at him in shock as Akefia slowly made his way towards her, staring over her small form as though to make sure she really was who he believed her to be. After a moment of silence, the two of them begin to smile before Akefia moved to hug her tightly, chatting with her as if they've been friends for ages.

"Um." Joey mumbled, before moving towards the two and raising a brow at them in confusion. "You two know each other already?"

Akefia chuckles and ruffles Juno's hair affectionately. "I was on a raid once and was cornered, I was almost caught by one of the pharaoh's guards and I bumped into Juno. She distracted the guards in exchange for a pretty bracelet. Of course, that was not the first time I have come to her for help in thieving."

Hersilia turned to Juno and frowned, placing her hands on her hips in disapproval. "I thought you said you found all those pretty trinkets."

Juno looked away for a moment and smirked. "I did, I found Akefia and he gave me the trinkets. In a certain way, I _DID_ find them- ow!"

Juno rubbed her head as she turned to Yugi, who had smacked her, before crossing his arms and scowling at her. "I'm ashamed of you! You should know better than to take things that aren't yours!" Everyone scolded both Akefia and Juno, but deep down they were all just glad that Juno was alright.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After the happy reunion of knowing Juno was alright and walking, Joey had excused himself and headed towards the royal gardens, sitting down at his usual place and gazing up at the clear blue sky. He heaved a tired sigh as he began to think about his little sister.

"Are you alright Joey?"

Turning his head to glance over his shoulder, he smiled as he spotted Juno make her way towards him, smiling down at him before sitting on the soft grass next to the blond.

"Wha- why are you up? How did you get here? Shouldn't ya be restin'?" The blond asked, giving the younger girl a stern look.

Juno just shrugged her shoulders and stuck her tongue out. "Seto let me leave, I'm following his rule of '_I do as I please_.' And besides, he has told me that all I have is a numb arm, not a broken leg." Joey rolled his eyes and made a mental note to smack Seto later on for his bad advice. "I shall ask once again, are you alright Joey?"

Joey stared at her for a brief moment, before nodding and looking down into the crystal clear waters of the pond. "Yeah I'm fine, I'm just thinking about my little sister and my friends. I really miss them..."

Juno turned to him and gave him a soft smile. Joey, Yugi, and Seto WILL make it home, she can feel it in her tiny bones.

"Thanks, Juno..."

She blinks at the sudden thanks before raises a brow at him in confusion. "Thanks for what?"

"For being a good and protective friend, I know for a fact that if you hadn't placed your hand in the way I would have gotten bitten instead of you... Thank you, ya saved my life."

Juno just chuckled and patted his back with her left hand. "It is alright, it is what families do, right?" Family, that's right, she and Hersilia had become like family to him, his other two sisters.

Joey nodded and gave her a sideways hug. Man, he was really lucky. If Seth hasn't bought him at the slave market, he never would have met Juno and Hersilia, never would have found Seto or Yugi, and possibly never would have found the Ring of Finders. He would be with some random perverted man and starving somewhere in the desert. If anything he would have been dead by now! But the gods were kind, and all this started because he bumped into Seth on his first day in Egypt.

As they sat there in comfortable silence, Juno began to sit up and look up at him. "Do you have the ring, Joey?" The blond blinked for a bit, before nodding and handing her his ring. Taking the trinket in the palm of her small hand, she took out a silver chain from her tunic and tied it around the ring, before handing it back to him. "Here, so that you have it with you always."

Joey can't help but smile as he takes the makeshift necklace. Before he can put it on, the ring begins to glow, lightly at first before glowing brighter. Raising a brow in confusion he stares at it, glancing nervously at Juno. "Just put it on, Joey." She urges, watching as he sighed and nervously placed the ring on his finger.

As he placed the ring on he noticed that he didn't black out like he normally did, he guessed that the more he uses the ring the more accustomed he becomes to it. As the darkness begins to blur, he is finally able to look around. As he studied his surroundings, he soon began to realize it was the palace gardens at night. The sound of rustling catches the blond's attention as he looks down, noticing someone sneaking around the palace.

It was a figure of someone small, looking around to make sure no guards were anywhere in sight. Once the figure saw that the coast was clear, it made its way to the far back of the gardens, trying to be as quiet as possible. Once in the corner of the garden, where the palace walls met, the small figure began to frantically dig into the ground with its bare hands. As the figure dug deeper, it found what it was looking for and pulled it out, teeth shining in the light as it gave a sinister smile. Turning his head a little, Joey was finally able to see what the figure held in its hands.

It was a small, golden box with the eye of Horus on the front and on its lid.

The figure chuckled deeply as it rubbed its hands together, opening the box to check its continents. It reached its hand inside and soon pulled out a key, that's when Joey's ring began to glow as he saw the key in the figure's hand do the same. As if hearing a sound, the figure looked back towards the palace, before frantically placing the key back inside the box and looking above at the top of the walls. The figure whistled and suddenly, another figure, much bigger than the smaller one, crawled up the wall and poked its head over the edge of the. The figure then motioned for the box, reaching out buff and scar covered hand towards it. The smaller figure looked around fast, before handing the box over with a satisfied smile. Suddenly a guard's voice began to shout, frightening the smaller figure into a run. The bigger figure moved swiftly, disappearing into the darkness, box in hand.

As Joey watched the scene unfold before him, he noticed one thing stand out the most about the smaller figure.

It's dark, emerald green eyes as it stared at the key with sickening glee.

Humming in thought, Joey frowned, it appears they have another problem to deal with.

Sighing in frustration the blond reached for his ring and gently pulled it off. His vision began to blur, causing him to close his eyes for a bit. After blinking a few times, Joey began to shake his head, realizing that he was now back near the pond. Turning his head he stared at Juno, before standing up and dusting himself off. Extending his hand towards her, the blond gave her a swift nod. "We need to talk with Atem, it looks like we have another problem to deal with."

Juno took Joey's hand, thanking him swiftly before standing and dusting herself off. "What is the problem this time?" Taking her hand in his own he gently began to drag her into the palace, heading towards the throne room with a troubled look on his face.

"Someone in the palace is a traitor."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The room was dark, only lit with two torches hanging on the wall, each on either side facing each other. A cloaked figure of a man walked into the empty room, holding a golden box in his hand.

The man placed the box down onto an old sacrificing table, gently opening the lid before reaching a hand inside and pulling out the key. Examining it in his hand, the man could not help but smile with a sickening glee as he read what was written on the key.

Key of the Healer, Healer to the Pharaoh.

A soft hissing noise got the man's attention, pulling him out of his sinister thoughts as he turned himself around. He smiled as a snake slithered its way towards him, its familiar blue, red, white and black scales shined in the light of the fire coming from the torches.

"What is wrong?" The man asked in a monotone voice, not really caring about whatever news the snake had for him. The snake hissed back an answer, bowing its head down as its master began to growl in annoyance. Turning back towards the box, the man placed the key back inside before closing the lid.

"What is wrong this time?"

A voice softly asked from the corner of the room, near the entrance do the small hideout. The man growled and turned towards the voice, glaring at the wall in irritation. "Arma has failed me, I knew that moronic old fool would never be able to do the job right."

As he spoke another person walked into the room, the light from the fire showed the man its curvy figure, indicating that the second figure was an older woman. Her cloak's hood covered her eyes, but it did not cover the woman's cruel smirk.

"Why not just send Amran? He is Arma's youngest son. And considering that his father was not only thrown into the dungeon but was also killed, he will try to avenge him." The women suggested, watching as the man raised a hand to rub his chin in thought, considering it.

Nodding his head he called forth another snake, who appeared before him in seconds. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a seed, dropping it onto the ground before the snake. The snake stares at the seed, then back at its master, waiting for a command. He simply turned back towards his golden box, tracing his fingers gently across its smooth top. "Amran, Arma's youngest son." Nodding, the snake bows its head, before taking the seed in its mouth and slithering away, disappearing into the shadows.

"Well, I best be off, I have things to do, you know. I'm sending some, 'friends' into a village to set my point straight to the pharaoh. I bid you farewell." She said, bowing swiftly before turning and making her way out. Smirking, her dark, emerald green eyes shined brightly as she mumbled a small message before exiting the room.

"Don't let me down this time... Amam."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was dinner time as everyone was in the dining hall, enjoying a nicely cooked meal. The pharaoh was trying to speak with Yugi as Maahad, Isis and Hersilia kept making sure Juno was alright, babying the younger teen who became more and more annoyed by the minute, she glared at them while trying to hold a conversation with Akefia.

Joey was having trouble trying to eat while Seth and Seto glared and fought with each other, both asking Joey if he would like to spend some time with them alone without the other around. Everything was normal until loud, bashing noises were heard coming from behind the doors of the dining hall. Suddenly they burst open, and in came a little boy wearing an old, wrinkly tunic covered in blood. Guards came in after him, shouting before throwing their spears at the boy. Said child cried in fear and ran towards Hersilia, hugging her tightly as a spearheaded towards them.

Springing into action, Juno jumped in front of Hersilia and the boy, trying to block the attack of the spear, only to be stabbed in the right shoulder blade with it.

"Juno!" Yugi screeched, running towards the girl to see if she was alright, as the pharaoh slammed his hands onto the table and glared at his guards.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He roared, causing them to flinch at the sound, before bowing down on one knee.

"A thousand apologies my pharaoh, but you see, this boy came running into the palace crying out for you. We had tried to calm him down and ask him what was wrong until he ran inside, we did not know if he was dangerous or not seeing as he had blood on his tunic." One of the guards explained as the other shook with fear at the pharaoh's outraged expression.

The boy sobbed onto Hersilia's chest, crying out for his mother as she patted him in an attempt to comfort him. Isis and Maahad had turned to Juno and asked if she was alright, instructing her not to move as they will get her into Isis's heating chamber to remove the spear from her shoulder blade properly. Juno stared at the spear intensely, before ignoring their protests and reaching for it, pulling it out swiftly and with ease as though it were a mere splinter.

The others stared at her in shock as she stared at the spear with a confused look. "Why is it that it did not hurt a bit?" She mumbled, before poking her shoulder wound with the tip of the spear. Isis panicked and told her to stop immediately, all the while Yugi and Joey had to look away, feeling their stomach churn at the mere sight.

"This is probably the grossest thing ever," Joey mumbled, holding his stomach and turning pale at the sound. "Even more gross than that time Ryou was touching his wound and asked you to touch it?" Yugi asked, raising a brow before covering his mouth at the memory. Joey just nodded and shook his head, he didn't want to think about it.

While Juno panicked and asked Isis why was it that it did not hurt a bit when she stabbed herself with the spear, Hersilia became successful in calming the young boy down, gently asking if he was alright.

After scolding his guards and ordering them to go back and guard the palace entrance, Atem heaved an exhausted sigh and walked towards Hersilia, kneeling down next to her and giving the boy a soft smile.

"What is wrong little one? What has frightened you so that you had to speak with me so urgently?" He spoke softly, waiting patiently as the child took deep breaths, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand gently. "I-it was the snakes my pharaoh! T-the snakes attacked my home and killed my family!"

"Snakes?" Akefia and Juno mumbled, glancing at each other quickly before staring back at the young boy. "What did these snakes look like little one?" Atem asked, patting the child's head softly.

"Th-they were different! I've never seen a snake like it before! It was blue, red, white and black, and its eyes were a sort of dark green!"

"And what exactly did these snakes do?"

"They bit the villagers and hid in the shadows! Once the snake bites a person the wound begins to swell! Turning purple before changing to black, it spreads and the person literally explodes! It's so horrid my pharaoh!" The boy explained, breaking into a soft sob before turning to cry in Hersilia's arms.

"The Snakes of Juno." Seto mumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at the ground as he began to remember what the book had said about this rare snake.

'_The snakes of Juno or the Juno snakes were only seen in Egypt, and have been around for what seems to be a span of 3 months and a day, before disappearing completely. The snakes were found to be resistant to fire and other such things except... Except what?' _Seto thought, growling as he tried hard to focus and remember. _'Except... Damn, I don't know, it's some sort of element or something... I'll figure it out soon. The snakes of Juno has a sort of venom which is said to clog up veins, sticking together like a sort of glue, allowing a bit to travel to other parts and clogging up as much as possible until it reaches the arteries in the heart. The venom then waits until the blood begins to pile itself up before it releasing a sort stinging sensation, causing the victim to feel as though their skin is being stretched, they feel as though they are on fire and the puncture wounds begin to itch intensely.' _As Seto thought, Joey stared at him in confusion, wondering why it was that the brunet was glaring and growing at the ground, biting his index finger occasionally.

Atem furrowed his eyebrows in thought, before growling in annoyance. "I shall see what I can do, a little one." He spoke to the boy, before standing and looking towards Maahad. "Get me all the guards you can and call them to the throne room, it appears we have more than one issue to deal with." With a nod, Maahad bowed and quickly exited the room to follow the pharaoh's orders. Atem sighed and rubbed his aching eyes. "When this is all over I shall take the longest bath known to mankind." He mumbled, everyone silently agreeing.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

There sat Atem upon his throne, his guards all aligned one by one, side by side, paying close attention to the pharaoh's every word and heeding his every command. He ordered the guards to be prepared for anything, and to ready their weapons in case of an attack, all the while everyone watched from the side, most worried while others tried to look on the bright side of things.

As the pharaoh spoke a soft, barely audible hissing noise sounded. Rounding a corner a larger than normal snake slithered its way into the throne room.

The creature glanced around, looking for its target until he spotted him, the tall priest, he was wearing a white tunic with gold linings and a light blue slash around his waist. He was standing next to a blond, surprisingly close. The brunet wore a serious expression, crossing his arms as he watched the pharaoh give out his orders. Hissing softly, the snake slithered quietly and made its way unnoticed by anyone towards the brunet's leg. It sat up a little, before opening its mouth widely, preparing to sink its teeth in deeply into the brunet's ankle.

Juno yawned as she watched the pharaoh, she was about to lean against Akefia and take a nap until a soft hissing noise caught her attention. '_A snake.'_ She thought, standing on guard as she looked around frantically, getting Akefia's attention. '_Where are you, I will have my revenge on your kind!_' She growled. Closing her eyes she began to concentrate, soon she was able to hear it slithering around her left. Turning her head in that direction, she spotted it, opening its mouth to take a bite of a certain brunet.

Acting fast Juno ran towards a wall and took a spear which had been hanging there in case, turning back around and taking aim.

"Watch out Seto!" She called out, throwing the spear just as Seto turned around.

With a satisfying 'thunk!' The spear strikes the snake in the head, killing it instantly.

"Yes!" Juno cheered, dancing around as Seto turned and glared at the now-dead snake around his ankles.

Suddenly, the sound of hissing was heard around the room as everyone began to tense, frozen in place they frantically looked around, trying to locate them. The hissing grew louder and louder, getting closer to them. As the pharaoh stood Akefia took the spear from the dead snake's head, aiming for the pharaoh.

"Get down you fool!" He shouted, throwing the spear at him. Seeing the weapon coming at him, he ducked, hearing the spear hit his throne behind him.

"Were you trying you kill me you ingrate?!" The pharaoh growled, getting down from his throne and stomping towards the thief.

"Uh hello? I have just saved your life! I expect some sort of reward after this!" Akefia said through gritted teeth, pointing towards the throne were there, hanging by the spear was the now impaled snake.

As they bickered the sound of screaming caught their attention, turning their heads towards the entrance, the gang watched as what seemed to be like thousands of snakes slithering in all at once.

"Holy shit!" Joey and Yugi mumbled, paling as they began to back away.

"Protect the pharaoh and his friends!" The head of the guards cried as all of them surrounded Atem and the gang. They tried their best to protect the pharaoh and the priests, getting bitten in the process.

Juno moved and stood in front of Hersilia and Yugi, grabbing another spear and backing away, ready to strike in order to save her friends. Akefia, who was right behind her stomped on one that was about to attack, and crushed its head, snickering sadistically at the crunching noise it made. As the snakes got closer, Seto and Seth both moved towards Joey and Hersilia, pushing them behind them as they glared at the snakes with hatred.

Atem grabbed his sword and pushed Yugi behind him, making sure none touched him at all. Isis and Maahad protected Mana and the little boy from before as they backed away, on their guard just in case as Akefia and Juno looked around, staring down the snakes as they closed in, cornering everyone.

Akefia grabbed a torch hanging by the wall and tried to scare the snakes off, failing miserably. Suddenly a snake jumped at Juno, baring its teeth, ready to attack. "Not again! Begone foul creature!" She growled, grabbing a nearby goblet filled with water and throwing it at it. To their shock, the snake began to hiss loudly in pain, shaking furiously on the ground before finally, laying there dead.

The other snakes stopped and stared at their fallen comrade in shock, unsure if they should continue or not. Taking a quick glance at each other, Akefia and Juno nodded before grabbing the rest of the goblets of water and throwing them onto the snakes, making a small path for them to run through.

"Go!" Seth and Seto shouted in unison, as everyone ran out the doors and down the halls. Hersilia grabbed the little boy's hand, running as fast as possible to get away.

"Quickly! Towards the bathhouse!" Akefia suggested, leading the way as everyone followed.

"How in the name of Obelisk do you know where the bathhouses are?" The pharaoh asked in shock as they neared said destination.

"Uh, now is not the time to be asking me such questions! Run!" Akefia replied, stopping at the doors and ripping them open. As soon as they all got inside, all the men quickly began to hold down the door as the girls began to fill the large bath with water. "Hurry up! We cannot hold them back forever!" Akefia barked loudly, as he slammed his shoulder hard against the door and slicing a snake in half as it tried to get in.

"Eeeewww!" Yugi and Joey screeched, holding the door down harder.

"It is done! Get in quickly!"

Jumping into the water the snakes all barged in.

"Splash damn you, splash like your life depended on it!" Joey screeched, splashing with all his might, everyone copied his action and watched as the snakes all began to hiss in pain, shaking before laying dead on the ground. Watching their comrades die, the rest began to retreat, exiting the room in a hurry to escape the dreaded water. Once every snake was out of sight, the group all sighed in relief, getting out of the nearly empty bath.

"Everyone alright?" Maahad asked, watching as they all nodded.

Akefia took off his large red coat and placed it on Juno, watching as she fell to the ground with it. "Hey!"

The pharaoh took in deep breaths, before giving a heavy sigh. "Where did they come from?" He muttered, leaning against the wall in exhaustion.

"This must be the work of Amam, when I get my hand on him," Seth mumbled, taking off his tunic top and wringing it out.

"I will kill him, snakes, so many fucking snakes," Yugi growled, glaring at the dead snake below him. "I hate snakes!"

Juno smiled approvingly, as she stood with Akefia's cloak still wrapped around her small shoulders. "Yes! Thank the gods that someone finally understands me!"

Atem sighed once again and raised a hand to wipe away the water dripping from his face, he really could not deal with any more snakes.

As he thought that, a loud hissing sound caught his attention. Turning his head upwards, he sees a snake hanging from a small crack on the wall a few inches away from him, glaring at him with its beady eyes. "Oh my winged dragon of Ra..." Frozen on his spot, the snake quickly took the opportunity and jumped, baring its teeth and ready to bite the pharaoh in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliff hanger? Why am I so mean? So! How was it? 
> 
> FEEL THE SUSPENSE!!


	12. Take Back What's Been Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all that's happened, it's time to take action. Juno is suspicious and follows Clefia to prove she is the traitor, what she finds surprises every one...   
Akefia reveals something no one, not even the author, had been expecting nor planning.

The snake hissed, smelling the fear of the pharaoh as it launched forward, just mere inches away from Atem's face.

"Ahhhh!"

Atem shielded his face with his arms, waiting to feel the pain of the snake's sharp fangs sinking into his skin.

"You may thank me at any moment now."

Slowly opening his eyes, Atem lowered his arms and looked up, staring at the face of the thief king, who was holding the snake tightly in his grasp by the neck. The snake squirmed, trying to bend his neck and bite the thief, failing miserably.

Atem's eyes widened as he gave the thief a look of pure shock. "You... You have saved me... Why?"

Akefia scoffed, throwing the snake into what was left of the water inside the large bath and dusted his hands. "I did not do it to be kind. I did it to receive a heartfelt reward, a bag of gold and one of your millennium items will do."

Upon hearing his request, Atem growled and crossed his arms over his chest. "As if I would give you such a thing!"

"I saved your life!"

"That still does not mean you can demand such a hefty reward!"

Joey watched the two fight and heaved a sigh in exhaustion, now was not the time to be fighting. Standing straight he walked over and got in between the two Egyptians, placing a hand on their chest and pushing them apart gently.

"Ladies ladies, please! You're both pretty, now can we get to da point? Someone just tried ta kill us with a herd of snakes!"

"Joey is right." Seth began, he had taken his tunic top off and was wringing it out, before looking up at them. "As Joey has explained before, we have a traitor among us. We must first figure out who this traitor is if we plan on retrieving the god keys and capturing this '_Amam_' villain." As he spoke, he noticed Joey's eyes glued to him. This made the priest very happy, knowing that his beloved was paying him attention. Atem sighed in exhaustion, running a hand through his tri-colored hair as he leaned back against the wall in thought. This traitor has to be someone who knows the palace, someone who is skilled in sneaking about.

"You know who I think is the suspect?"

Everyone turned their heads, blinking as they watched Juno frown at the ground, arms crossed with a serious look on her face. "I feel as though it is Clefia. She gives me an odd look now and then, she also weirdly stares at Seth."

"It cannot be her, she seems incapable of doing something so devious," Seth spoke, crossing his arms as he threw his wet tunic top to the side, no longer caring for it. "This plan was well thought out, she does not have the brains nor the skills to do something like this."

"Wow Seth, rude much?" Yugi mumbled, causing Hersilia to giggle a little at the comment.

"I suggest," Maahad began, running a hand through his long, wet brown hair as he heaved a heavy sigh. "We get the guards... Er, remaining guards, to check our rooms immediately, we need to be up bright and early tomorrow at first light to plan out what we must do next." The thought of having to return to their bedrooms brought a shiver down all their spins. There was no doubt that someone out there is out for revenge, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

"If we ever find who this evil '_Amam_' is." The pharaoh mumbled darkly, as he began to wring his tunic skirt out. "I will make sure he pays for murdering so many innocent people."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The cold air of the desert surrounded the two, as they fought their way against the mild sand storm. Hands clenching onto their belongings, the two figures spotted a cave in the distance, heaving sighs of relief as they ran up to it.

The small steps leading up to the cave made it easier for them to climb, as they lifted their hands to hide their eyes from the harsh sand-filled winds.

"Gods!" The woman growled under her breath, as she entered the cave, her male companion following behind her at a much calmer pace. "Egypt is much more dangerous than I had first assumed!" Placing her belongings down, she huffed and took out a torch. With the help of her companion, she was able to light it, illuminating the room around them as she began to glance around. Standing, she lifted the torch and examined the cave, confused by what it held inside once the room had been lit. There were strange carvings, and ruins of sorts scattered amongst most parts inside. A table rested in the middle, as though it had been placed there for a certain ritual of sorts.

Her male companion sat himself down upon some flat rocks he had found, gazing around the cave with eyes filled to the brim with interest.

"This is amazing!" He gasped, standing as he walked towards a wall, running his fingers along with the old hieroglyphs with a smile plastered upon his face. He cared not for his cloak, which had been dirtied by the sands out in the desert, for he was too busy wondering the cave with a smile. The young woman had finally found some more torches that hung upon the walls, as she lit them all while her companion walked about. Turning to glance at him from over her shoulder, the woman couldn't help but smile softly at her friend, who seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Do not wander off again, the last thing I need is to fight off some strange creature to protect you like last time."

The male chuckled and waved his hand around aimlessly in the air, to show the woman that he understood. The more the room began to light up, the more excited he became. Reaching towards a lit up the torch that hung on the wall, the young male took it and began to walk around. He took in everything he could, from the broken rocks inside the cave to the strange carvings written upon the walls and pillars further in. Feeling as though he was reaching the end, the young male gasped loudly as he found a giant stone slab before him, it was unlike anything he had ever seen.

The young woman had begun to work on a miniature fireplace near the entrance of the cave, she had found some wood and had lit them up. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small sack containing food and glanced inside. Luckily for her, there was enough to get them through the night, as well as the next few days.

With a smile, she closed the sack and placed it down upon the sandy ground, as she poked the fire with a stick, all in an attempt to move the wood around and distribute it evenly.

"You must see this!" She heard her companion exclaim from deeper within the cave, causing her to quickly turn her head around in surprise. "It is of the utmost importance! You will not believe it!"

Dropping her stick the young woman stood and ran towards her companion, wondering what it was that had captured his attention so profoundly, that he had to cry out for her to see it. Normally he kept quiet and examined things, before coming to find her to show her his discovery, but this time he had stayed in place waiting for her to arrive.

And she knew he only did that because it truly was important, and needed a second opinion before he made any theories about his finds.

Torch in hand she walked closer to him, raising a brow in wonder as he stood before a wall, his slander fingers slowly running down the surprisingly smooth surface as he muttered to himself under his breath.

"What is this?" She asked in amazement, turning to glance at the expression of wonder her companion held.

Letting out a breath, the young male turned to his companion with a bright smile, his eyes sparkling in the dim light as he answered in a low tone.

"Kronos’ Gates of Time."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Juno growled under her breath as she snuck around the empty halls of the palace, she knew something just wasn't right with that Clefia girl, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Juno?" Hersilia whispered, glancing around to make sure they were alone. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hersilia had woken up in the middle of the night and was shocked to find that her best friend was nowhere to be seen, without hesitating she had gotten up out of bed without disturbing Joey and Yugi and headed straight for the doors. It didn't take her long to find the young girl sneaking around the palace, but instead of arguing with her and trying to get her to go back to bed, she went along with her plan.

Turning to face her friend, Juno sent her a smile and gave her a quick nod. "I'm as sure as Joey's hair is as golden as the pharaoh's crown."

without another word, Juno turned and continued walking, her steps were so quiet it was as though she wasn’t really there. Hersilia was always amazed by her friend’s ability to be so sneaky, then again they’ve been able to survive as long as they have thanks to that ability of hers. Sometimes she wondered if she would be able to keep up, she wasn’t good at anything else, just tagging along.

Juno suddenly halted, sticking her arm out for Hersilia to motion for her to stand still. Doing as she was silently told, Hersilia leaned in and glanced over Juno’s shoulder, just in time to spot Clefia.

She was wearing a dark cloak, concealing her face and glancing around. Making sure no one was following her, she turned a sharp corner and quickly made her way down the hall to the hidden exit of the palace. Hersilia knew that the exit was created for the Pharaoh to escape should there be a raid in the palace, and the only reason she knew where it was, was because Juno had stumbled upon it while exploring.

Juno heaved a sign and turned to Hersilia, giving her a knowing look before turning to follow Clefia, giving her a silent signal to follow behind her without a word. It was a shock to see how well Clefia could move from place to place without being detected, she was almost as good as Akefia, yet there was a clumsy feel to the way she moved.

She was nervous, and it caused her sneaking to be sloppy.

As they neared the location of the exit, Hersilia’s foot caught in a crack on the palace floor, causing her to trip a little. It had been the soft squeak of shock she had let escape her lips, that caught Clefia’s attention. Hearing the sound, Clefia turned sharply, glancing around to try and find the source of the sound. Juno quickly stuck her hand out to protect Hersilia, as she pushed them both to lean against the stone walls, well hidden within the darkness and a pillar.

“I know you’ve been following me,” Clefia spoke, her high pitch tone changing, sounding calm and serious. “Show yourself, it’ll make things easier on both of us.”

Juno gritted her teeth, she’s never been caught sneaking in her life, but she knew that to protect Hersilia, she’d step forward and expose herself. Hersilia knew she’d do this, Juno was the kind of girl that wanted everyone to be safe at the cost of her own life. Suddenly, a thought came to her, and she knew what she could do to protect Juno and keep her out of sight from Clefia. Taking in a deep breath, she gently placed a hand on Juno’s arm, letting her know she had an idea and then stepped into the light.

Her crimson eyes meeting Clefia’s emerald ones, the two scowling at one another already knowing what was happening.

“Well, this is unexpected.” Clefia chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest. “If it isn’t the roman child, you did well worming your way to the palace and Joey’s heart,”

“I know you’re the traitor, Clefia,” Hersilia announced, not once taking her eyes off of her. “I know you were the one who set those snakes loose in the palace and the one who placed one in Joey’s room to bite him.”

“Oh?” Clefia hummed, smirking.

Hersilia clenched her fist, her frown deepening at the amused expression on Clefia’s face. “What I want to know, is why you have done what you’ve done. Why are you after Joey?”

Clefia chuckled before her expression turned dark. “It is high time you stopped questioning me.”

Hersilia couldn’t help but swallow hard, she was intimidated by this girl, but she couldn’t let her see her fear. She needed to stay strong, for everyone else, and Juno.

“Listen, if you allow me to escape, I’ll allow you to live,” Clefia glared at Hersilia, almost daring her to speak. “If I find you following me, I’ll be sure you and everyone you care about is in the ground in seconds. Your friend may have gotten lucky with the snakes, but I doubt they’ll be able to survive a much stronger attack.” Seeing that Hersilia wouldn’t be saying another word, she huffed and turned to make her way out of the halls, glancing around to make sure no one had spotted them, before glancing over her shoulder with a scowl.

“Let us never speak of this again, or your tongue will be used as feed for the hippos.”

Hersilia pursed her lips, unable to believe she had doubted her friend for even a second. Juno had been right, there was something wrong with Clefia, if only she had realized it sooner.

Hersilia’s eyes glanced to the side, watching a shadow swiftly and quietly following behind Clefia skillfully, with the latter being oblivious to her.

Hersilia sighed and raised her hands to her chest, giving a silent prayer.

_‘Be careful Juno, Clefia is a very dangerous person…’_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

“So then, what happens next?” Yugi asked as he dried his hair off with soft rags given to him by the servants. He and Joey had decided to stay up and think up a plan to figure out what they needed to do next.

They decided to let Juno and Hersilia rest, all the while trying to fully understand their new issue, the motive behind Amam and his plans to kill Seth.

“We just need to find out what dat weird Amam guy wants with Seth,” Joey muttered, glaring down at the ground. “Seth doesn’t seem like such a bad guy, why would anyone wanna hurt him?”

“Maybe because he’s the Kaiba of ancient Egypt?” Yugi asked eyebrow raised as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He’s known Seth for a while now, and although he’ll admit the man is different from his counterpart, he’s still basically a buildup of what Seto is.

Joey rolled his eyes at his friend, almost expecting him to say something like that. “Yug’ he’s different, for one thing, he’s not as big a dick as Seto is.”

Yugi let out a soft chuckle. “So you admit that Seth has a bigger dick than Seto?”

Joey’s face flushed a bright red, as he grabbed a wet rag and threw it at his laughing friend. “Shut up dats not what I meant!”

“But, you’ve seen Seth’s dick then?” Yugi asked, dodging the rag effortlessly and trying not to laugh. “Almost makes it sound like you slept with him.”

When Joey didn’t respond, and only grew redder, Yugi let out a gasp in shock.

“Oh my Gods, you _did_ sleep with Seth!” Yugi exclaimed feeling a tad bit disappointed that his friend hadn’t told him immediately about the relationship. They were friends, and Yugi would’ve told him about his relationship with Yami if the two ever got to that part.

Eventually.

“…” Joey stayed silent, turning his head and coughing into his hand in embarrassment before admitting to it. “I uh, may have also slept wit’ Kaiba afterward…”

“…”

“…”

The two sat there in silence, just waiting for a sound to be made. One was embarrassed to have even said anything, the other was in utter shock to have heard anything. Finally, Yugi broke the silence by letting out an exaggerated gasp.

“YOU SLEPT WITH BOTH OF THEM AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!”

“I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS DAT BIG A DEAL! WE JUST REUNITED WIT’ YA AND YA HAD HERSILIA AND JUNO WIT’ YA!”

“Still that’s something you’d tell _your best friend!_”

“I couldn’t find da right time ta tell ya!”

Yugi sighed and buried his face in his hands. “This is major news Joey, this is so bad, very _very_ bad.” Realizing what he said, Yugi snapped his head back up and shook his head. “N-Not the fact that you slept with them, you can do whatever you want with your ass-”

“Yug’ just get ta da point-”

“What I meant was, it’s bad because you’re creating feelings there that _shouldn’t be there._” Yugi’s tone turned serious, making sure he kept eye contact with his blond friend. “You’re going to be leaving, you’re going to break your own heart and Seth and as much of a sarcastic douche he is, he doesn’t deserve it, Joey…”

This realization hit him hard in the gut, he already knew it would be happening but having it said out loud, by your best friend, really made everything hit home. This explained why Yugi refused to try anything with the Pharaoh, it was obvious that if he tried to get close to him feelings would undoubtedly develop. As serious as Yami was when he had no memory of his past, he was still a charming and charismatic leader, with a nack for making jokes.

And Yugi had loved him.

He had held his best friend in his arms as he cried his eyes out, wanting to have Yami back but knowing that he was at peace now.

“I know… But I can’t help it Yug’…” Joey began, his eyes glossing over with tears, causing his friend to send him a sympathetic look. “I love Seth, I dunno when it happened, but I do and I know it’s gonna hurt like hell leavin’ him, so I wanna spend as much time with him as I can…”

Seeing his friend nearly sobbing at the future loss of a man he fell in love with, Yugi stood and made his way over to him. He wanted to be there for his friend like Joey was there for him when he had said his goodbyes to Yami.

“Joey, I-”

Before he could say anything the doors to Joey’s bedchamber opened, causing the two of them to snap their heads up to watch as Seto made his way inside, closing the door behind him for more privacy. Without a word and cellphone in hand, he stood before Joey and pressed a button on the cell, before grunting. “Speak.”

_“Hi, Joey! Hi Yugi!‌ I’m so glad you guys are alright!” _

Joey composed himself rather quickly, smiling at the sound of Mokuba’s very missed voice. “Hey, kiddo! How are things back there, everyone doing alright?”

Before Mokuba could respond, Yugi snatched the phone, gave it a quick once over, and turned to glare at Seto. “You could communicate with everyone and you didn’t tell me?!” He growled, furious that he wasn’t told they were able to contact their friends in the future. He could’ve told his grandpa he was alright and well!

Grunting, Seto snatched the cellphone back and sent Yugi a look. “There was no time, now sit down and listen.”

Yugi wanted to argue, but he knew that now was not the time to get angry. Heaving a sigh, he sat down and waited for Seto to continue. Knowing that Yugi would stay quiet, he turned his attention back to his cellphone.

“Mokuba, can you give us more information on these God Keys?”

_“Oh, right.”_ On the other end, they heard the tapping of a keyboard, before Mokuba muttered under his breath. _“It just says what Akefia told you before, but someone wrote the order of the keys… But the website is corrupted…”_

“Corrupted? What do you mean, corrupted?” Seto asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

_“Well, it just tells you the first few, and who they belong to…” _

“Who do they belong to, Mokuba?” Yugi asked, prepared to memorize every little detail needed to head back home.

_“It just says the first key belongs to Apollo, the second to a man named Jono… Uh, Seto?” _

Hearing uncertainty in his brother’s tone, Seto grunted to let him know he was there and to continue speaking.

_“I can try to hack the website and fix it to relay more info, but the most important thing right now is that you need to find this Jono person.”_

“Jono or Juno? Because if it’s Juno we already have her here, she’s a roman friend of ours-”

_“No, Jono. He’s supposedly the Wiseman to the Pharaoh, from Greece, says here that the Pharaoh placed a lot of trust in him, he was like his archeologist.” _

The name rang a bell, and it bothered

Seto thought for a moment until his eyes turned sharply to Joey, and an idea popped into his head. It couldn’t be, but there was no other explanation, which would mean they needed to find this Jono since he most likely can find the order the keys should go with, and how the ritual is done.

_“It also says here that each key is connected to another, according to the order they’re placed you can always find which key belongs to which,”_ Mokuba informed, reading off of his screen. _“If all else fails, and you can’t find the order, just place them according to how they’re connected!”_

That’s when Yugi gasped and turned to his two friends, if Seto could even be _called_ a friend, with wide eyes. “Everyone we meet and bump into is helping us in some way! That could mean that Juno and Hersilia were brought here to help us with their keys!”

“It _is_ possible,” Seto mumbled, placing a hand under his chin in thought. “That would mean that the thief, meeting that bastard priest and the others within the palace walls, Celifa and so on, all play a part in this.”

They each began to think of everyone they’ve met that helped them so far, this of course, only included people that they’ve interacted long enough to know their current situation. After labeling who could be a Keyholder and who was just an acquaintance, they came up with a plan.

Joey was to wear the ring, even when it wasn’t glowing, to find out as much information about the keys and its holders as he could. If he concentrated long enough, he’d be able to find the location of where the ritual was to take place. With all the information he finds, he’ll jot down it all down for them to review and breakdown afterward.

Agreeing that this was their best shot at returning home, they each made their way to their room ready to sleep and be ready to start.

Seto had tried to make a move to slip into Joey’s bed with him but gave up once Joey gave him a look. The very last thing he wanted was to make his pup mad at him and run off into the arms of that bastard priest, so holding his tongue, Seto said his goodnight and left.

Now all that was left was for everything to start going according to plan, the last thing they wanted was for someone to interfere.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The walk was rather long, away from the palace if one had taken the regular route, but Clefia knew a shortcut, one where she wouldn’t be spotted so easily and that could take her straight to her destination.

Juno had followed her to the best of her abilities, hiding every time Clefia turned her head to make sure she wasn’t being followed and holding her breath once everything stood in silence so she wouldn’t be heard. She was glad to find that she had been right about the girl all along, Clefia was nothing but a traitor out to hurt Joey and Yugi, Seth as well but to her, he wasn’t as important as the others.

Seto had also grown on her, and she’d be damned if she didn’t protect the tall idiot from everyone around him.

Finally reaching their destination, Juno made sure to hide behind the nearest wall where she could hear the conversation taking place, keep an eye on those around her and be able to find a way to make her escape without being seen. She watched as Clefia made her way up a short stone stairway, towards a tall man in a cloak. His back was towards her, as he examined and dusted what appeared to be a box in front of him.

“Welcome back, mistress.” The cloaked man spoke, his voice deep and rather raspy, like a deadman speaking for the first time in decades.

Juno’s eyes grew as wide as saucers at the sight of Clefia changing from what appeared to be a young, 12-year-old child, to a beautiful 21-year-old woman.

Clefia knew magic, powerful magic that changed her appearance! This was dangerous, if she used it for a plan in the future, it could be their downfall. She should stay on alert around Clefia, especially since she knew she was the most vulnerable. Should Clefia every shift into someone she loved, Juno would be at her mercy.

“How many keys do we hold?” Clefia asked, her cold tone sending a shiver down Juno’s spine.

The cloaked man hummed, turning away from the object he had been toying with to face her. That’s when Juno noticed a familiar, small sarcophagus shaped box.

“Two, we hold the keys of the healer and the protector, they were hard to come by, but our scavenger has been able to locate them.” He explained, letting out a deep sigh. “And how many keys does that priest hold?”

“One, the key of the thief,” Clefia responded, narrowing her eyes at the man. “Amam, you must tell the scavenger to hurry, that blond bastard holds the ring of finders, it won’t be long before he finds the others.”

It took everything within Juno to not jump Clefia and knock her face in, she hated the fact that Joey cared for her deeply, and the woman just didn’t care.

Amam grunted in annoyance, making his way down the stone steps with Clefia following close behind.

“We will find the keys long before the boy finds out how to properly use the ring,” Amam explained. “We do not need to fear nor worry.”

Clefia stopped and stood at the steps, watching the man walk down with a deep scowl on his face.

“They are suspicious, they know there is a traitor among them,” Clefia explained. “The girl, Hersilia, knows that I am that traitor.”

Amam stopped and turned to glance at her from over his shoulder, his hood lifting just enough for Juno to see the scar that ran down the man’s face, similar to Akefia’s yet not as sexy.

She will admit, Akefia is rather attractive under all that dumbass and angry jackass that coats his personality.

“Then, we will get rid of her.”

Juno gritted her teeth and told herself to calm down, if she let herself be seen, it would only put the others in even more danger than they already were.

“Besides, we already have info on another key,” Amam turned and began to make his way towards the entrance, Juno thanking the gods that she decided to hide at the opposite end to not be caught. “We have an idea as to where the _key of the beauty_ might be.”

“Where is it?” Clefia asked, following behind the man, her eyes gleaming brightly at the thought of holding the key of the beauty.

“There is a man who lives not too far from here, who holds _the key of the beauty_. He gave it to his late wife as a gift and held onto it after she passed.” He explained.

A chuckle escaped Amam, as he walked away with Clefia following behind. His voice echoing within the walls of the small hideout, almost as though wanting Juno to remember what he had said.

“We are to kill him within a few days, and pry the keys from his cold dead hands.”

  
Juno gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to punch the man in the face. Yes, they needed the keys, but to kill a man and take something that was so precious to him? Once all of this was over, she hoped the pharaoh would help her whip the man until he could no longer speak, especially after committing such a horrid act.

She waited a while, listening intensely to make sure no one was around before she decided to make her move. She glanced around, before quickly making her way towards the steps. She hurried and climbed all the way up to the top, hoping no one would appear out of nowhere like they normally did when she tried to steal something. With a deep breath, she reached down and plucked the golden sarcophagus off of the stone table the man had placed it on.

She gave the box a soft shake, hearing something clinking against the walls of the inside, letting her know that there was indeed an item inside.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she decided to take a quick peek. Just to make sure that the key truly was inside before she decided to steal it.

With a quick peek, she was surprised to find a soft green key laying perfectly still in the middle as though it hadn’t been shaken at all. Juno let out a sigh in awe, the key was beautifully made, looking as though it had been made the day before.

The sound of distant chatting caught her attention, as she slammed the box closed and stood straight. With a quick look around, she held it close to her underarm, making a leap down the stairs and escaping through the entrance she and Clefia had come in.

Hopefully, her crap sense of direction will help her find her way out…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hersilia couldn’t stop herself from pacing back and forth in front of her chamber doors, Yugi had appeared and had asked where Juno was. If Hersilia hadn’t acted quick and told him that Juno was in the bathroom and she was just nervous staying in the chamber on her own.

It had been a blessing from the gods that Yugi had been so tired due to the recent events that as soon as he laid down to rest, he passed out.

“Juno… Please be safe…” She whispered to herself, feeling herself grow worried more and more each day. Heaving a deep sigh, she glanced around and began to tap her foot. She knew it wouldn’t be an in and out deal, and she’d be back in a few minutes, but the longer her friend took the more worried she became.

She wanted to tell Yugi, she should've told Yugi.

What if Juno was seriously injured? What would happen if she had been caught, brainwashed, tortured, sold into slavery or worse…

Killed?

That last thought hit her hard, causing her to stop pacing and start running down the halls. She wanted to tell someone, she needed to tell someone. Anyone, anyone that could help, anyone that would listen. But who could she go to that won’t lose their minds, delay, or even start getting angry at her and waste time yelling.

Because she knew full well that they would do that, and she didn’t want to deal with someone scolding her at the moment.

Atem was sleeping if he awoke he’d be furious and start ordering everyone to wake up and start searching for ways of finding her. Delaying.

Seto would most likely lose his mind, he’d make sure everyone was okay, before getting angry and questioning everyone. Seth would be the same, so they would only take longer.

Joey and Yugi had too much on their plates, they didn’t need that sort of stress.

Who could she turn to that would just rush out and save her friend-

Bam!

“Whoa, why are you running this late at night?”

A familiar voice asked, his hand wrapped around her upper arm, holding her up before she could hit the ground. Glancing up, Hersiliar let out a gasp in realization, she had bumped into the one person that would help her find Juno in seconds.

“Akefia!” She screeched, causing the white-haired male to let go of her in shock and take a step back, hands covering his ears in pain.

“Yes, it’s me! By the Gods are you still in shock from the snake attack?” He asked through gritted teeth, he could never understand how women could hit that high note without a single thought.

Hugging Akefia, Hersilia began to cry, her tears soaking his cloak and making him rather uncomfortable. Not sure how he should comfort her, not once being good at speaking to women in general, he raised a hand and began to hesitantly pat her head, not sure if he had been doing it right or not. “Uh, what’s wrong… Hersilio?” He asked with uncertainty, he wasn’t good with names. Not that he didn’t like the young girl, they just rarely interacted, what with him only replying to her greetings every now and then when they do cross paths.

“It’s Juno,” Hersilia sniffled, feeling the way Akefia tensed. “She was suspicious of Clefia so we followed her, but when we were caught I stepped out of hiding to accuse her of being the traitor.” Akefia stayed silent and listened. “She actually admitted it and she didn’t notice Juno, once she left Juno followed her. The sun will rise soon, and she still hasn’t appeared!”

Akefia stayed silent as he lifted a hand to gently pry Hersilia off of him. She sniffled and allowed him to remove her, watching him intensely as he grunted, as though agreeing to help her. His eyes were covered with his bangs, casting a shadow as he thought of a plan to find out where she could have gone, and how he was going to bring her back.

Turning, he ran down the halls to head out of the palace, but not before turning to glance over his shoulder and let Hersilia know he was on it.

“I will bring her back in one piece, do not let anyone know we have gone!”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Akefia huffed as he neared what he assumed to be the direction that Juno had gone to, being a thief he was capable of tracking and overall finding out where their hiding places were.

As he neared, his ear perked up, picking up sounds of multiple people cursing one at a time. The ground began to shake, letting him know that not one, nor two, but multiple people were running towards him. Stopping, Akefia prepared himself, reaching into his coat pocket to retrieve his dagger. There is a chance they were coming towards him to attack, he needed to prepare himself, and there was also a chance it was a herd of civilians running away from the danger that could potentially harm them all.

Akefia sighed when he recognized a small girl running towards him, her arms clenching something tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide, yet filled with determination.

The thief stopped in his tracks and lifted his hand, trying to signal her down. “Oi! Juno!” He called out, waving at her. “Where have you been? Hersilia has been-”

“-uuunn!”

His ears perked up, trying to decipher her words as she screeched. Their distance didn’t help his ears, but they had grown sharp enough to pick up some of what she had been screaming at him.

He needed to run…

Because…

They had found her…

_‘Who had found her?’_ He thought angrily before they reached his line of sight. The group of angry cloaked men riding horses, waving swords angrily at a huffing Juno. How she was able to run away from them while they rode horses, only the Gods knew. Before Akefia could ask her what she was screaming, she grabbed his arm and began dragging his body with her in the direction of the palace.

After about five minutes of running, the thief ran on his own by her side, turning to her with a confused expression. “What in the god’s name have you done?”

“They weren’t too pleased with me stealing back what they stole from the palace!” Juno called back, huffing hard and trying to catch her breath. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, she knew if she continued like this, it won’t be long before she collapsed.

“What did they steal that was of the utmost importance you just had to take back?” Akefia growled back, taking a quick glance over his shoulder, noticing how the men on their horses were slowing down. Without a word, Juno moved her arms and showed him the small, familiar sarcophagus with the eye of Horus on the side.

One of the Keys.

“YOU PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER, FOR THE KEY?!” Akefia was rather offended, she could have called for help or taken someone stronger and bigger than her to help. She didn’t even think to bring him, a master thief, with her. “THAT PHARAOH WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU COMMAND OF AN ARMY HAD YOU SPOKEN TO HIM!!!”‌

“HAD I SPOKEN TO HIM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS KEY WITH US!” She growled at him, teeth bared and at the ready to stop in her tracks and fight him. She was tired, hungry and angry, at the ready to put the box down and brawl, she knew what she did was dangerous and could get her into an insane amount of trouble. But she did it for Yugi, Joey, and Seto, she knew what it was like to want to be home with friends and family, and she wanted them to be happy. They gave her a small family, they had treated her and Hersilia like their own kin, this was the least she could do to repay them.

Akefia wanted to yell, he wanted to throw something and fight and argue, but he knew now was not the time to do that. Pushing down his anger, he reached out and plucked Juno from her running position, and began to carry her the rest of the way to the palace gates.

“YOU ARE A FOOL,” he screamed, holding onto her tightly and skillfully avoiding any rocks or debris that could cause him to trip or slow him down. “THE LEAST YOU COULD HAVE DONE, WAS TAKEN ME WITH YOU!”

Hearing Juno’s heavy breathing made sigh, he didn’t want to make her scream or argue right now, no matter how much he wanted to. Bitting his tongue on anything he might say that would annoy her, he continued running, watching as the palace came to view.

Those horse riders would stop a distance away, no one wanted to take on the Pharaoh’s guards, not when he was in a foul mood after the snake incident.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Everyone was both in shock and enraged with what Juno had done, she had thrown herself into the arms of danger and narrowly escaped with her life.

Sure she had the right intention, wanting to help everyone out and finally find the rest of the keys. However, the way she went about it was both wrong and very dangerous. Hersilia herself was not off the hook, however, she had confessed and let everyone know of what had happened and they met up to go meet them both at the front of the palace, therefore she was not entirely to blame.

It was Juno’s idea and despite Hersilia’s words of caution, she still went and put herself through danger.

“You could have gotten yourself killed!” Seto growled, scolding a tired and angry Juno. She sat on the floor on her knees, glaring at the floor before her. No one else expected Seto, of all people, to be as angry at Juno as he currently was. “Honestly! Yes, you got yourself the key, but what would have happened if you didn’t get it? What if you had been caught or kidnapped? What if you had been hurt or sacrificed? WHAT THEN?!”

Yugi, who was as furious as can be finding out that Juno had put herself in this situation where she could have faced Amam herself, couldn’t input his own angry words. Seto seemed to be doing fine by himself.

“What the hell do you have to say for yourself?!” Juno frowned deeply, not really knowing what to say but knowing if she didn’t respond she’d have to sit there for the rest of the night until the sun rose in the morning. When she mumbled, Seto scowled. “Excuse me? What was that?”

“I said… Mmmmm…” She mumbled once again.

“Louder, I can’t understand you when you mumble!” Joey tried to step in, trying to tell Seto to calm down a little but decided against it when Seth pulled him back, shaking his head at him to not interfere. “What do you have to say for yourself? What if you had gotten yourself killed?!”

“I said I’m sorry! That’s enough, right?!” She screamed back, lifting her head to glare up at him.

“SORRY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, MOKUBA!”

The room went silent, most being confused with whoever this Mokuba was, but Joey and Yugi knew. Catching himself, Seto stiffened, his body tensing at the realization of what he had just said. It wasn’t bad, but it was extremely embarrassing for him.

“Who’s Moku-”

“Nothing just…” Seto heaved a sigh and lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Just, forget it. It doesn’t even matter at this point…” He was so tired of this, so tired of the drama, so tired of the danger, and so tired of growing such affection for strangers that would only hurt him emotionally in the end. He already grew up trying so hard to block away from his emotions, doing what he could to run a company and not let anyone hurt him or his brother. Why was it that he was growing attached to someone who has been dead for over 5,000 years?

“Seto…” Joey whispered, moving away from Seth and placing a comforting hand on Seto’s shoulder. As a brother, he knew what the brunet was feeling.

Mokuba had a knack for getting kidnapped and Seto knew how to handle it, Mokuba knew how to handle it and defend himself. However, when Mokuba started hitting his rebellious stage, he’d get his little ass into trouble and always talk back to Seto. Joey and Yugi remembered how stressed the brunet looked when he went to school, constantly having to glance at his cellphone and pray silently that he wouldn't be getting another call from Mokuba’s school or someone who had taken him asking him for money.

Stepping in, Yugi spared Seto a sympathetic glance, before scowling at the girl before him.

“You worried all of us, do you know how we all felt after getting nearly bitten to death by those damn snakes?” Yugi asked, not really expecting her to answer. “We’re all tired, we all want to sleep, we all want a moment’s peace and yes, we’re grateful that you went out to get the key, but you still did it _alone_ without _any backup_, and you _could’ve gotten yourself killed!_”

With every word, Juno sunk further and further into herself. Her expression angry, but not at everyone around her, she was angry at herself. All she wanted was to help them, even if it meant her own life. What she didn’t want was for them to suffer or grief because of her selfish ways. Akefia watched from a short distance, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He knew something like this would happen, and as much as he wanted to jump in and defend her, he knew he wouldn’t be making much of a difference.

If anything the pharaoh would be on his ass as well and he didn’t feel like getting yelled at by the short male tonight, after all the shit they just went through.

A hand was placed on Yugi’s shoulder, as Atem stepped in. “Maybe we should all take a breather,” he began, smiling down at Yugi with a tired expression. “Yes, what she did was wrong. But let’s see it from a different perspective, she is tired and she was scared, the situation she was in was horrible, but her heart was in the right place.”

Yugi, although reluctant, sighed and nodded. He wanted to stay mad at her, she put herself through so much just for them. And he understood that after everything that’s been going on since he’s arrived, she just wanted them to go home and be with their families and friends.

“Juno, just…” Yugi began, unable to finish as Atem stepped forward.

Kneeling, the pharaoh placed a hand on the young girl’s head, smiling down at her with such kindness, it tugged at Yugi’s heart. “Thank you for bringing the key to us Juno, we’re all just so glad you are safe and well again.”

Juno’s eyes teared up, as she glanced up at the pharaoh. She knew he wasn’t lying, and that only made her let out a little sob, she hadn’t wanted them to feel bad, she just wanted them to be relieved that at least they can all rest easy knowing that they now had 2 of the 12 keys.

Feeling that the air around them was no longer as tense as it was when Juno had first arrived at the palace with the key, Joey turned to Isis, who held the key within her hands and let out a loud whistle. “I gotta say, I am impressed with ya,” the others turned to him as he trailed a finger on the box with intrigue. “How’d ya know where ta get it? When I saw it, it was taken and no one knew by who.”

“Who does it belong to?” Yugi asked, walking up to his blond friend to take a good look at the familiar-looking box. “Everyone has to hold their key with them to unlock the door so we can leave, right? We can give this key to the owner.”

With a hum, Joey opened the box and took out the key. He examined every nook and cranny, noticing this key was different from the one Akefia had around his neck.

The key was a soft green, as green as the herbs and medicines made from plants were, it held a few bumps and bruises but still glowed beautifully in the light. While Akefia’s was rough and has seen better days, still holding itself together and easily blendable with its surroundings, this key made whoever was holding it feel warm and healthy.

It was as though he had left the doctor’s office with a clean bill of health.

“It says, Key of the Healer, Extender of Life and Health.” Joey read, raising a brow in thought. They knew a healer, and Mokuba did say that all of the key owners were connected to one another. With a bright smile, Joey placed the key back into the box and closed it, before looking up at Isis and gently pushing the box towards her chest. “Here ya go Isis, this is your key now.”

Isis’ eyebrows rose in surprise. “This key is mine? How-”

Before she could finish, Seth stepped forward and sent her a nod of acknowledgment. “You are the healer to the pharaoh and all those who reside in the palace, it is obvious that this key belongs to you.”

Atem couldn’t help but let out a joyous laugh, true that the day had not been what they had been expecting, but he was pleased, to say the least, that they now had two of the 12 keys, knowledge of who they belonged to and Juno knew who the traitor was. Despite all of the downsides, they’ve been blessed with upsides and that just made the night a little better.

“I entrust you with the key then, Isis,” Atem began, sending her a sincere smile. “Please keep it safe on your person, until a time comes for us to use it.”

Understanding, Isis gave him a nod and bowed her head. “Of course my pharaoh,” she agreed, lifting her head and smiling at those around her. “I will keep the key safe until the time arrives to use it, it shall not leave my sight.”

“How did you get this key, Juno,” Seth asked, raising a brow at the young girl, who was still kneeling down in front of him.

Juno hummed and thought back to what she saw, making sure she remembered every little detail. “I saw Amam, his face was covered with a cloak but I saw a scar on his face…” Everyone nodded, taking a mental note to look for a man with a scar that wasn’t Akefia.

“I also saw Clefia, but she used some sort of magic to make herself older… And they found the location of the Key of the Beauty…”

“Clefia?” Joey asked, shaking his head. “No, it couldn’t be her, she’s in the servants quarters sleepin’-”

“It’s true! Clefia has threatened me when I confronted her!” Hersilia spoke up, her eyes wide in hope that they’d believe her. “She was the one Juno followed to get back the key, she’s the traitor!”

“Who is this, Clefia, and why is her name similar to my own?” Akefia asked, looking rather offended that someone had taken his name and he had no idea who this someone was.

“Clefia is a slave girl that Joey had saved from slave traders, she is his personal assistant but she ran away and only recently returned,” Seth explained, not wanting to continue. When that wasn’t enough, Akefia turned to Juno and Hersilia, eyebrow raised in silent questioning. Without skipping a beat, Juno answered, not once lifting her head from the ground and still feeling guilty about the trouble she had caused.

“Short tanned girl, freckles, green eyes choppy hair…” Juno stopped to think, before giving herself a soft, malicious chuckle. “Flatter than the palace walls, as curvy as a board piece and as bright as a copper coin piece.”

“Juno!” Hersilia and Yugi gasped, appalled. It was rather rude to refer to another girl as such, and as much as Yugi knew Juno had a mouth on her, he never would have thought she would talk like that about another person.

“Wait… I know this woman!” Akefia exclaimed, everyone’s attention turning towards him with wide eyes. Never before had Akefia sounded so alarmed at the thought of another person, fearing that Akefia might react negatively, Atem moved in front of Hersilia and Yugi, Seth and Seto moved in front of Joey and Juno, while Maahad, who had stayed silent and observed everyone, stepped in front of Isis.

“Geez, ya make it sound like she’s dangerous,” Joey muttered, frowning deeply at everyone talking so poorly about Clefia. “She’s just a 12-year-old girl-”

“This lady is the biggest wench one can ever have the displeasure of meeting, even us thieves have a code and she breaks all of those codes!” Akefia let out a hiss, his hands balling up into tight fists at the thought of this woman. “Her real name is Achen, she has the power to shift her appearance to look older or younger and trick people…”

Juno had to restrain herself from telling everyone within that room that she had been right, as much as she wanted to let everyone know that she knew this would happen, she thought it best to just keep to herself and let Akefia finish. If there was anyone who knew thieves within Egypt, it would be Akefia.

“She’s a fellow thief, the worst kind… Who knows what that horrid gypsy wench will do if she got her hands on those keys!”

A/N: Hello, it has been so long… Too long…

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Nagareboshi-Lover from back in the day, I hope once it's done, everyone can enjoy and re-read for as long as possible.


End file.
